RECOMBINATION-ENHANCED IMPURITY DIFFUSION IN BE-DOPED GAAS

Recombination-enhanced impurity diffusion (REID) in Be-doped GaAs has been observed for the first time. Current-induced degradation of tunnel diodes has been investigated. The Be diffusion under forward bias is enhanced by a factor of about 10(15) at room temperature, and the activation energy for the diffusion is reduced from 1.8 eV for thermal diffusion to 0.6 eV for REID. The REID of Be, in which the energy released on minority-carrier injection at the recombination center could enhance the diffusion, is thought to be the origin of the degradation.