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p–n Structure Formed on the Surface of n-type GaAs by Low-Energy Ar+ Ions

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Abstract

The dark current–voltage characteristics of a p–n structure created on the surface of an n-type GaAs wafer by Ar+ ions with the energy Ei = 2500 eV are studied. To avoid the metallization of a thin (~10 nm) ion-modified p-type layer, multilayer metal contacts are deposited onto both sides of the plate without subsequent annealing. The diode effect with a forward-to-reverse current ratio up to three orders of magnitude is observed in the voltage range as high as 0.7 eV contrary to the unirradiated reference sample. The linear dependence of most current–voltage characteristics of the unirradiated reference sample and coincidence of the experimental current–voltage characteristics with the calculated ones for the ion-induced p–n-structure indicate the predominantly ohmic nature of the metallic contacts and that the observed diode effect is determined by the ion-induced p–n structure. An analysis of two regions with different slopes in the current–voltage characteristics reveals two current-transport mechanisms: recombination and diffusion. The considered effect of the ion-induced formation of the p–n structure limits the use of low-energy argon ions for preparing an atomically clean surface of n-type GaAs-based semiconductors for their study by surface-sensitive methods because the p–n structure is formed on the surface instead of a homogeneous material.

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Funding

The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 17-19-01200-P).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ioffe Institute, 194021, St. Petersburg, Russia

    E. A. Makarevskaya, D. A. Novikov, V. M. Mikoushkin, V. S. Kalinovskii, E. V. Kontrosh, I. A. Tolkachev & K. K. Prudchenko

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  1. E. A. Makarevskaya
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  2. D. A. Novikov
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  3. V. M. Mikoushkin
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  4. V. S. Kalinovskii
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Correspondence to E. A. Makarevskaya.

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Translated by L. Chernikova

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Makarevskaya, E.A., Novikov, D.A., Mikoushkin, V.M. et al. p–n Structure Formed on the Surface of n-type GaAs by Low-Energy Ar+ Ions. J. Surf. Investig. 16, 890–895 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1027451022050329

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