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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Variable length semi-insulating GaAs p+-υ-n+ diodes are used to investigate the influence of near contact electric field non-uniformities on the injection of minority carriers. The results show that despite the presence of highly linear IV characteristics, significant nonuniformities in the electric field dominate the device response. The current density through the device is shown to depend on the device length with a power law J ∞ (L)1.0 at a constant bias. The experimental results are compared, with good agreement, to a theoretical model which treats semi-insulating GaAs as a trap-dominated relaxation semiconductor. Electroabsorption measurements are used to observe the slow transients associated with the appearance of near contact field nonuniformities.