Pressure-induced alterations in the electrical characteristics of InP semiconductors

We studied the effects of pressure on indium phosphide (InP) semiconductors using powder samples subjected to a pressure range of 0–25 GPa. We analyzed AC impedance, relaxation frequencies, and resistivity at different temperatures to understand how the samples change during metallization. The results showed that increasing pressure mainly affected the electrical transport through the grains, without other substances affecting it. In addition, we found that the phase transition in InP samples could be reversed by releasing pressure. First-principles calculations of InP and the pressure-dependent enthalpy difference revealed a transition from the zinc blende to the Fm3m structure at 4 GPa, accompanied by a 19.5% volume collapse. The study showed that increasing pressure widened the bandgap, increasing resistivity before 4 GPa, and the Fm3m phase became metallic by crossing the Fermi level. Our research shows that pressure can modulate the bandgap and induce structural phase transitions in InP, significantly altering its resistivity and electrical transport properties.