Diffusion of dopants into semiconductors from a spin-on-glass (SOG) source is of great interest because of its versatility, simplicity, and relatively low cost. SiO2 SOG films doped with Sn and/or Ga were used as a diffusion source on GaAs. Diffusion was studied during rapid thermal annealing with or without an As over-pressure ambient, which was produced by either the proximity over-pressure or the enhanced over-pressure proximity techniques. Diffusivity of Sn was observed to decrease as As over-pressure increases. Modifying the Sn doped SOG to contain 4 mole percent Ga slightly reduced the Sn diffusivity. An explanation of these results is proposed based on the chemical reactions between the SOG and GaAs. Highly doped layers (1-3 x 10(18) cm(-3)) with good electron mobility (>1000 cm(2)/V . s) resulting in abrupt shallow junctions (<0.5 mu m) were obtained.