Optoelectronic phenomena in GaAs and GaP layers prepared by nitrogen treatment

Plasma processing of single-crystal wafers of gallium arsenide and gallium phosphide is employed to obtain thin wideband layers. The spectral dependence of the photoluminescence of the layers and of the photosensitivity of the corresponding layer/substrate structures is investigated. An analysis of the results of these studies gives us reason to believe that the described process leads to replacement of arsenic and phosphorus atoms by nitrogen and to the formation of wideband layers of solid solutions on the surface of the indicated semiconductors. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7826(98)01310-6].