Temperature dependence of minority-carrier lifetime in low-resistivity GaAs

The temperature behavior of minority-carrier lifetimes was measured in undoped n-type and Cd-doped p-type GaAs single crystals. The results were explained on the basis of a model for the recombination mechanism using one type of minority-carrier trapping centers and one type of recombination centers, the latter having a very small density. Furthermore, the model assumed a gradual transformation of trapping centers to recombination ones with decreasing temperature. The same model also explained the difference between our results on the majority-carrier lifetime behavior and the results of other investigators on the same subject.