Electrical characteristics of core–shell p–n GaAs nanowire structures with Te as the n-dopant

GaAs nanowire (NW)-based p–n photovoltaic devices, with two distinct p and n spatial distributions and where Te was the n-dopant, have been studied by impedance spectroscopy in the 10³–10⁷ Hz frequency range and the − 1.5–1.5 V bias range. For a large n-core/p-shell overlap region within NWs in a coaxial geometry, the p–n junction properties (DC rectification and p–n depletion capacitance) are found to prevail. The impedance data at low bias for both NW devices show large frequency dispersions with relaxation frequencies that are compatible with carrier re-emission times from traps due to GaAs surface states. An increasing conductance with increasing frequency for low bias is observed, suggesting hopping transport through localized states. For large bias the conductance increases exponentially with bias and is frequency independent, indicating conduction through extended states in this regime.