Recombination Processes inp-Type Indium Antimonide

Abstract

Photoelectromagnetic and photoconductive lifetimes have been measured from 77° to 300°K in monocrystalline $p$-type indium antimonide of net acceptor concentration ranging from less than ${10}^{15}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{-3\mathrm{}}$ to ${10}^{18}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{-3\mathrm{}}$. It is concluded that at the lower temperatures, excess electrons are trapped in immobile states in the forbidden band and that the trap concentration is the same in all samples, regardless of net acceptor concentration. At intermediate temperatures, trapping becomes negligible but recombination continues to take place through states in the forbidden gap; there is some reason to believe that in this temperature region lifetimes are determined by more than one level of forbidden-band states. At still higher temperatures, where the samples are intrinsic, the lifetime data are consistent with the hypothesis of a direct interband Auger recombination process.