An overview of early studies on persistent photoconductivity and other properties of deep levels in GaAsP: The effect of deep levels on light emitting devices
Laser studies carried out at the University of Illinois in 1966 showed that the shortest wavelength at which lasing could be achieved in GaAsP was dependent on then-type dopant. In particular sulfur doping was found to restrict lasing to longer wavelengths. It was suggested that this could be due to the effect of energy levels associated with the higher conduction band minima. This led in 1967 to an investigation of the effect of Te and S donor levels on the properties of GaAsP near the direct-indirect crossover. Samples throughout the composition range were studied using Hall effect measurements from 55 to 400° K and resistivity measurements under hydrostatic pressure between 0 and 7 kbar at 300, 195, and 77° K. The data on Te-doped samples fit the standard energy band models, but S doping was found to exhibit dramatic persistent photoconductivity and other compositional effects similar to the “DX-center” effects later observed in AlGaAs and other materials. This paper summarizes these results on GaAsP:S, and gives a brief overview of other early investigations in compound semiconductors where energy levels associated with higher lying minima were studied and where, in some cases, nonequilibrium effects were observed. A later study on GaAsP:S is also described which shows the effect of S-doping on LED performance. Finally, some of the implications that the existence of deep levels of this type have on light emitting device performance in other alloy systems is discussed.