Self-diffusion on the As sublattice in intrinsic GaAs was investigated in a direct way by As tracer diffusion measurements using the radioisotopes 73As and 76As and in an indirect way by annealing of buried nitrogen doping layers in epitaxially grown GaAs/GaAs:N heterostructures. The latter experiments were analyzed by secondary ion mass spectroscopy and interpreted within the framework of the kick-out mechanism yielding the As diffusivities mediated by As interstitials IAs. Comparison of with tracer diffusion coefficients – including data reported in the literature–points to a substantial contribution of IAs to As diffusion in intrinsic GaAs under As-rich ambient conditions.

We present out-diffusion of Zn in Si as a new method to study properties of Si vacancies. Out-diffusion experiments were performed on homogeneously Zn-doped Si samples at 1107°C and 1154°C. The resulting concentration-depth profiles were measured by means of spreading-resistance profiling. Based on a diffusion model in which Zn migrates simultaneously via the kick-out and the dissociative mechanism all experimental profiles were modeled by computer simulations. The calculations reveal that out-diffusion of Zn from Si occurs to a considerable extent via the dissociative mechanism. Hence, vacancy properties like the equilibrium concentration and the transport capacity can be extracted from profile fittings. The results are compared with literature data deduced from in-diffusion experiments.

The microstructure induced by the Zn diffusion at 1170 K into doped and undoped semi-insulating GaAs single crystals was characterized for various diffusion times t < 1740 min by analytical electron microscopy. The results were compared with Zn concentration profiles obtained by spreading resistance measurements (SRM) on the same samples. At the diffusion front the formation of prismatic interstitial dislocation loops, dislocation networks, and of cavities partly filled with Ga was observed. Closer to the surface facetted voids and, for the undoped samples, vacancy-type dislocation loops formed. The near surface region of highest Zn-concentration showed a high density of Zn-rich precipitates. A model is presented which accounts .for these observations. It is based on fast interstitial Zn diffusion and the kick-out mechanism for interstitial-substituional exchange.

In the present paper, optical absorption studies on the neutral charge state of the double acceptor zinc in silicon are presented. Measurements were carried out in the mid infrared (MIR) and in the near infrared (NIR) region. The MIR absorption spectra show the excitation series of an effective-masslike hole, from which the Zn° level position is calculated to be at Ev + 319. 1 meV. A splitting of the ground state into 3 sublevels is assigned to hole-hole coupling and crystal-field splitting. Absorption spectra obtained in the NIR are interpreted in terms of an A° X-type bound exciton.