Effect of column III vacancy on arsenic precipitation in low-temperature grown III-V arsenides

Separately grown p-type, intrinsic, and n-type GaAs at low temperatures as well as a combined p-i-n structure have been used to study the formation of As precipitates upon annealing at 800°C. For the separate structures, least precipitates have been noticed in the n-type material. In contrast, the highest density of precipitates appears in the n region for the p-i-n structure. In addition, an obvious band depleted of precipitates, exists in the intrinsic region near the n-i interface. A general vacancy model, including Fermi level effect and crystal bonding strength (thermodynamic factor), has been developed to explain the current results as well as to predict As precipitation in various low temperature grown III-V heterostructures.