Indentation deformation of thin {111} GaAs and InSb foils: influence of polarity

{111} GaAs and InSb thin foils have been deformed by a Vickers indenter at different temperatures between room temperature and 370°C and under loads ranging from 0.4 to 1.9 N. Interferometry was used to observe the indented and opposite faces of thin foils and to analyse the plastic flow throughout the samples. Attention was paid to the polarity (A or B) of the specimens, as GaAs as well as InSb are known to show large difference between α and β dislocation mobilities. A model considering the influence of polarity is proposed to describe the material flow throughout thin samples and analyse differences observed between both semiconductors.