The effect of white-light illumination at room temperatures upon the penetration of Cu into substrates was investigated by using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence, current-voltage and photosensitivity methods. The formation of a p-n junction as a result of photostimulated Cu diffusion was detected. It was suggested that the mechanism of photostimulated Cu diffusion into GaAs at room temperatures was related to internal electric fields which arose in the near-surface region of substrates under illumination.

Photoelectric characteristics of GaAs p-n junctions formed by Cu photostimulated diffusion T.D.Dzhafarov, M.Sirin, S.Akciz: Journal of Physics D, 1998, 31[6], L17-20