Direct evidence of defect annihilation during structural relaxation of amorphous indium phosphide

Extended x-ray absorption fine structure measurements have been used to characterize the low-temperature, thermally induced structural relaxation of amorphous InP. We show reductions in both chemical and structural disorder associated with homopolar and heteropolar bonding, respectively, are operative during structural relaxation of this amorphous compound semiconductor. The latter is analogous to that observed in the amorphous elemental semiconductors Ge and Si. Though a reduction in homopolar bonding accompanies structural relaxation, the fully relaxed, minimum-energy configuration of the amorphous phase still retains chemical disorder