Injection Electroluminescence in Gallium Antimonide

Abstract

Emission of high‐intensity infrared radiation at 1.6 μ has been observed from forward‐biased GaSb p‐n junctions. Visual inspection indicates that the radiation is coming from the junction or close proximity to it. Optical pumping of the base material produces the same spectrum of radiation as p‐n junction injection. Lack of significant line shift in both absorption measurements and measurements in magnetic fields up to 90 000 G indicates that the radiation is not produced by band‐to‐band transitions, but is probably connected with impurities. Further evidence that the transitions are via an impurity level is obtained from the fact that the radiation spectrum is changed by the addition of a different impurity.