High resistivity and ultrafast carrier lifetime in argon implanted GaAs

Abstract

We have investigated the optoelectronic and structural properties of GaAs that has been implanted with Ar ions and subsequently annealed. The material exhibits all the basic optical and electronic characteristics typically observed in nonstoichiometric, As implanted or low-temperature-grown GaAs. Annealing of Ar implanted GaAs at 600 °C produces a highly resistive material with a subpicosecond trapping lifetime for photoexcited carriers. Transmission electron microscopy shows that, instead of As precipitates, characteristic for the nonstoichiometeric GaAs, voids ranging in size from 3 to 5 nm are observed in Ar implanted and annealed GaAs.