ACOUSTIC METHOD OF INVESTIGATING THE SURFACE-POTENTIAL IN SEMICONDUCTORS - STUDY OF THE GAP-TE(110) REAL SURFACE

An acoustic method of the surface potential determination in semiconductors is described. The method is based on the transverse acoustoelectric effect in the layered piezoelectric waveguide-semiconductor structure. The paper presents experimental results of the surface potential investigations obtained after various surface treatments in a GaP:Te (110) single crystal. Strong influence of chemical and mechanical surface treatments upon the surface potential values are observed. The surface potential values obtained by the presented method ranged, approximately, from -0.17 +/- 0.01 V up to +0.08 +/- 0.01 V. It follows from measurements that the method may give important information about the surface potential of the semiconductor crystals in the high frequency range.