EFFECTIVE LIFETIME OF NONEQUILIBRIUM MINORITY CARRIERS IN THE LIGHTLY DOPED n-TYPE REGION OF GALLIUM ARSENIDE p + -n-n + STRUCTURES.

An experimental investigation was made of the effective lifetime tau //e//f//f of nonequilibrium minority carriers in the lightly-doped n-type region of gallium arsenide p** plus -n-n** plus structures as a function of the forward current density and temperature. The value of tau //e//f//f increased when the current was increased and it passed through a maximum in the range 40 less than j less than 100 A/cm**2. At higher currents the effective lifetime decreased. The relationships obtained for the nonradiative lifetime at high ( tau // infinity ) and low ( tau //0) rates of injection and the photon generation coefficient nu were determined. The temperature dependences of the capture cross sections of deep recombination centers and of the coefficient nu were obtained.