Abstract
The high electric field properties of n-type epitaxial GaAs diodes have been studied to 40 kbar. In contrast to previous results, the authors find that the threshold field increases to 15 kbar. This is explained by the dominant effect of the increases of effective mass in the high mobility Gamma 1c minimum with pressure. The constraints these results place on the intervalley coupling constants to be used in theoretical calculations are indicated. Results from a series of diodes suggest that the variation of ET with pressure depends sensitively on contact effects. The data are discussed qualitatively in terms of possible pressure effects on metal-semiconductor barriers.