  The effect of annealing at 250 C on the carrier depth profile, Mn
distribution, electrical conductivity, and Curie temperature of (Ga,Mn)As
layers with thicknesses > 200 nm, grown by molecular-beam epitaxy at low
temperatures, is studied by a variety of analytical methods. The vertical
gradient in hole concentration, revealed by electrochemical capacitance-voltage
profiling, is shown to play a key role in the understanding of conductivity and
magnetization data. The gradient, basically already present in as-grown
samples, is strongly influenced by post-growth annealing. From secondary ion
mass spectroscopy it can be concluded that, at least in thick layers, the
change in carrier depth profile and thus in conductivity is not primarily due
to out-diffusion of Mn interstitials during annealing. Two alternative possible
models are discussed.
