INJECTION AND DRIFT OF A POSITIVELY CHARGED HYDROGEN SPECIES IN P-TYPE GAAS

Transport of the acceptor-passivating hydrogen species in p-type GaAs has been observed in reverse bias annealed Al Schottky diode samples. The motion of the positively charged hydrogen across the depletion region of these diodes is confirmed both by changes in the electrically active acceptor profiles with time, and by direct measurement of the migration using secondary-ion mass spectrometry on deuterated samples. Acceptor passivation is unstable under minority-carrier injection by illumination at 25°C. Hydrogen injection into p-type GaAs during boiling in water or etching in H2SO 4:H2O2:H2O has also been demonstrated.