Transient diffusion of Ga in amorphous silicon

The redistribution of Ga in amorphous silicon (a-Si) in the temperature range of 560-830 K by means of medium-energy ion scattering has been studied. During the initial 10 s of the annealing the diffusivity shows a transient behavior that is attributed to the change in the relaxation state of the amorphous matrix. From 560 to 830 K the diffusivity during relaxation is enhanced by seven to two orders of magnitude compared to the value for bulk a-Si. Possible models that show the observed transient diffusion behavior are discussed.