Cathodoluminescence spectroscopy was used here, for the first time, to detect base-dopant out-diffusion which was caused by current stress in Be-doped heterojunctions. The results showed that diffusion of the base dopant along the growth direction of the device structure occurred during stressing. This conclusion was confirmed by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Integrated cathodoluminescence-intensity variations which were produced by the stress suggested that a mechanism of recombination-enhanced impurity diffusion was responsible for the Be diffusion.

Cathodoluminescence Evidence of Stress-Induced Out-Diffusion of Beryllium from AlGaAs/GaAs Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors. M.Borgarino, G.Salviati, L.Cattani, L.Lazzarini, C.Z.Fregonara, F.Fantini, A.Carnera: Journal of Physics D, 1998, 31[21], 3004-8

 

Table 1

Diffusivity of Al in AlAs/GaAs

Si (/cm3)

Temperature (C)

D (cm2/s)

5 x 1017

900

6.1 x 10-17

5 x 1017

850

3.0 x 10-17

1 x 1018

795

5.0 x 10-17

2 x 1018

750

6.6 x 10-17

2 x 1018

750

5.4 x 10-17

5 x 1018

700

4.2 x 10-17

5 x 1017

795

2.3 x 10-18

2 x 1018

695

1.1 x 10-17

2 x 1018

700

5.6 x 10-18

5 x 1018

650

5.6 x 10-18

1 x 1018

745

2.6 x 10-18

2 x 1018

655

1.0 x 10-18

2 x 1018

655

7.3 x 10-19

2 x 1017

900

1.2 x 10-17

5 x 1017

745

3.6 x 10-19

-

850

4.2 x 10-20

-

800

2.6 x 10-20