Identification of intrinsic deep level defects responsible for electret behavior in TlGaSe2 layered semiconductor

Abstract Unusual behavior of pyroelectric current signal polarity near the Curie point ( T c ) was observed for TlGaSe 2 a ferroelectric-semiconductor. It has been revealed that the polarity of the spontaneous polarization near T c depends on the sample poling prehistory. In particular, applying an external electric field only in the temperature range of the paraelectric state during cooling regime in darkness brought to the depolarization current at T c with the sign opposite to the external field polarity. Otherwise, if the sample was poled in the temperature interval of the incommensurate phase, pyroelectric current exhibits a peak at T c with the polarity that is the same as for the external poling electric field. These observations indicate that internal electric field is present in the bulk and near-surface layer regions of the electrically poled single crystal TlGaSe 2 . Possible mechanisms and origins responsible for the internal electric fields in TlGaSe 2 are discussed. It is shown that the formation of internal electric fields in TlGaSe 2 is due to charging of intrinsic native defects during the poling process. Characteristics of electrically active intrinsic defects in TlGaSe 2 were investigated by using of Photo-Induced Current Transient Spectroscopy (PICTS) technique. Six deep defect levels in the band gap of TlGaSe 2 were determined, which were localized both in the bulk and on the surface of the sample and could be electrically charged. The correlation between polarization effects and PICTS results has been established. It was shown that native deep defects (A3–A6) localized in the bulk of crystal are responsible for hetero-charge formation and negative sign of the pyroelectric current peak observed around the Curie temperature after poling the sample in the temperature intervals well above T c . It was also shown that the positive sign pyrocurrent observed near the Curie point is attributed to the homo-charge formed by native A2-trapping centers which are localized near the surface region of TlGaSe 2 . Native deep level trap having an activation energy of 0.26 eV and the capture cross section of 2.8×10 −13  cm 2 were established for A2 from PICTS measurements.