High-resolution Laplace-transform deep level transient spectroscopy ha
s been used to study the influence of the defect local environment on
electron emission from the DX centers related to group-IV (silicon) do
nors in AlxGa1-xAs (0.20 < x < 0.76) and delta-doped GaAs and group-VI
(tellurium) donor elements in AlxGa1-xAs (0.25 < x < 0.73) and GaAs0.
35P0.65. The experimental evidence that substitutional-interstitial at
om motion is responsible for DX behavior and for the associated metast
ability effects is presented. The atom which is subjected to this tran
sition is for DX(Si) silicon itself, as in the spectra only one group
of peaks in AlxGa1-xAs is observed, while for DX(Te) it can be either
gallium or aluminum, producing two groups of peaks in AlxGa1-xAs and t
hree or four broad emission bands in GaAs0.35P0.65. The present result
s rule out a possibility that the DX-type defect states are formed by
a donor atom in a stable substitutional position with a small lattice
relaxation or with a fully symmetric large lattice relaxation effect.
(C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.