Thermal annealing and cooling-rate dependent electronic properties of bulk GaAs crystals.

Changes in the electronic properties of bulk GaAs crystals, grown from melts of varied As:Ga ratios, and Si-donor concentrations, were investigated by annealing in the temperature range 850C to 1050C. We found a gradual reduction of the free carrier concentration, a corresponding decrease in the luminescence spectral intensity, and a suppression of the near band-edge peaks with annealing time at any temperature. Deep level and impurity concentrations remained essentially constant. The magnitude of these changes was found to be determined predominantly by the annealing time and temperature, and the starting composition of the material. We argue for a non-radiative native acceptor defect, or defect complex, forming during the annealing cycle. We present here the thermodynamic interpretation for this behavior in terms of point defect equilibria.