Extended Defects in Semiconductors

Abstract

The elucidation of the effects of structurally extended defects on electronic properties of materials is especially important in view of the current advances in electronic device development that involve defect control and engineering at the nanometer level. This book surveys the properties, effects, roles and characterization of extended defects in semiconductors. The basic properties of extended defects (dislocations, stacking faults, grain boundaries, and precipitates) are outlined, and their effect on the electronic properties of semiconductors, their role in semiconductor devices, and techniques for their characterization are discussed. These topics are among the central issues in the investigation and applications of semiconductors and in the operation of semiconductor devices. The authors preface their treatment with an introduction to semiconductor materials and conclude with a chapter on point defect maldistributions. This text is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in materials science and engineering, and for those studying semiconductor physics.

Sub-10 nm rutile titanium dioxide nanoparticles for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic hydrogen production

“…Thus, the only difference in rutile TiO 2 samples under study lies in their defect degrees, which directly influence the amount of upward shift in the valence band top (Supplementary Table 1), and are responsible for the band-gap narrowing. The upward shift in the valence band top due to the existence of abundant defects in T-1 should be ascribed to the band bending 30 , most probably associated with charge imbalance induced by the defect energy levels 58 . Calcination at elevated temperature will eliminate some of the defects in T-1 and, therefore, reduce the extent of upward shift in the valence band top of T-2 (Fig.…”

Electronic properties of dislocations

“…The analysis of their electronic properties is of particular interest for semiconductor devices because dislocations detrimentally effect device parameters. This was proved, for instance, by electron-beam-induced current (EBIC) method [2,3]. Detailed investigations by various experimental techniques [Hall effect, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), photoluminescence] revealed numerous deep and shallow defect levels in the gap of Si related to dislocations [4][5][6][7][8].…”

On the electronic properties of a single dislocation

“…Electronic properties of dislocations were intensively studied for a long time using numerous analytical techniques [5][6][7][8][9] requiring, however, high densities of dislocations to attain the detection limits of the methods. The dominantly applied method for dislocation generation was plastic deformation introducing also large numbers of other defects and defect reactions making it sometimes difficult to interpret experimental data.…”