Sequential nature of damage annealing and activation in implanted GaAs

Rapid thermal processing of implanted GaAs reveals a definitive sequence in the damage annealing and the electrical activation of ions. Removal of implantation-induced damage and restoration of GaAs crystallinity occurs first. Irrespective of implanted species, at this stage the GaAs is n-type and highly resistive with almost ideal values of electron mobility. Electrical activation is achieved next when, in a narrow anneal temperature window, the material becomes n- or p-type, or remains semi-insulating, commensurate to the chemical nature of the implanted ion. Such a two-step sequence in the electrical doping of GaAs by ion implantation may be unique of GaAs and other compound semiconductors

Activation analysis of rapid thermally annealed Si and Mg implanted semi-insulating GaAs

Electronic properties of Si and Mg implants in undoped semi-insulating GaAs are studied. The activation of the implants is achieved by rapid thermal annealing. The effects of implantation dose and anneal temperature on the measured electrical activity are investigated. In spite of similar depth distributions and implantation damage characteristics, a marked difference between the activations of the Si and the Mg ions is observed for the dose range considered (3×10^12 – 1×10^14 cm^–2). Lattice strain measurements performed by x-ray rocking curves indicate that the residual implantation damage after annealing is not largely responsible for this difference. The difference is mostly electronic in character, as also suggested by photoluminescence measurements. At high annealing temperatures, changes in the compensating properties of undoped semi-insulating GaAs are suspected, and are found to play an important role in the activation of implanted ions, affecting the n- and p-type dopants conversely