Band bending, Fermi level pinning, and surface fixed charge on chemically prepared GaAs surfaces

E. Yablonovitch; B. J. Skromme; R. Bhat; J. P. Harbison; T. J. Gmitter

doi:10.1063/1.100929

Band bending, Fermi level pinning, and surface fixed charge on chemically prepared GaAs surfaces

E. Yablonovitch, B. J. Skromme, R. Bhat, J. P. Harbison, T. J. Gmitter

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82 Scopus citations

Abstract

We compare the nature of the band bending under GaAs surfaces prepared by alkaline sulfides [Na₂S9H₂O, (NH₄) ₂S] with that under oxidized GaAs surfaces. We make the point that Fermi level pinning implies band bending, but band bending does not necessarily imply "pinning." In either case, even weak light illumination substantially flattens the bands. On ammonium sulfide treated surfaces the fixed and trapped charge density in the dark is only ∼5×10¹ ¹ electrons/cm², but these few states are mostly neutralized at low-level forward injection. This behavior should not be confused with Fermi level pinning.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	555-557
Number of pages	3
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	54
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.100929
State	Published - 1989
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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10.1063/1.100929

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title = "Band bending, Fermi level pinning, and surface fixed charge on chemically prepared GaAs surfaces",

abstract = "We compare the nature of the band bending under GaAs surfaces prepared by alkaline sulfides [Na2S9H2O, (NH4) 2S] with that under oxidized GaAs surfaces. We make the point that Fermi level pinning implies band bending, but band bending does not necessarily imply {"}pinning.{"} In either case, even weak light illumination substantially flattens the bands. On ammonium sulfide treated surfaces the fixed and trapped charge density in the dark is only ∼5×101 1 electrons/cm2, but these few states are mostly neutralized at low-level forward injection. This behavior should not be confused with Fermi level pinning.",

author = "E. Yablonovitch and Skromme, {B. J.} and R. Bhat and Harbison, {J. P.} and Gmitter, {T. J.}",

year = "1989",

doi = "10.1063/1.100929",

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T1 - Band bending, Fermi level pinning, and surface fixed charge on chemically prepared GaAs surfaces

AU - Yablonovitch, E.

AU - Skromme, B. J.

AU - Bhat, R.

AU - Harbison, J. P.

AU - Gmitter, T. J.

PY - 1989

Y1 - 1989

N2 - We compare the nature of the band bending under GaAs surfaces prepared by alkaline sulfides [Na2S9H2O, (NH4) 2S] with that under oxidized GaAs surfaces. We make the point that Fermi level pinning implies band bending, but band bending does not necessarily imply "pinning." In either case, even weak light illumination substantially flattens the bands. On ammonium sulfide treated surfaces the fixed and trapped charge density in the dark is only ∼5×101 1 electrons/cm2, but these few states are mostly neutralized at low-level forward injection. This behavior should not be confused with Fermi level pinning.

AB - We compare the nature of the band bending under GaAs surfaces prepared by alkaline sulfides [Na2S9H2O, (NH4) 2S] with that under oxidized GaAs surfaces. We make the point that Fermi level pinning implies band bending, but band bending does not necessarily imply "pinning." In either case, even weak light illumination substantially flattens the bands. On ammonium sulfide treated surfaces the fixed and trapped charge density in the dark is only ∼5×101 1 electrons/cm2, but these few states are mostly neutralized at low-level forward injection. This behavior should not be confused with Fermi level pinning.

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EP - 557

JO - Applied Physics Letters

JF - Applied Physics Letters

IS - 6

ER -

Band bending, Fermi level pinning, and surface fixed charge on chemically prepared GaAs surfaces

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