Study of n- and p-Type Silicon Exposed to Highly Energetic Radiation

For an understanding of displacement effects in semiconductors, it is important to establish a correlation of the magnitude of these effects with various types of radiation. A study has been made of the effect of highly energetic radiation on n-type silicon using two techniques. First, with electron-spin resonance studies, the energy dependence of formation of the Si-Bl center at 80° and 300°K by 1.5, 2.5, 5, and 30 MeV electrons and by reactor neutrons has been determined. In addition, the energy dependence of the production of the divacancy by electrons with energies between 2.5 and 30 MeV in n-type silicon have been obtained. Second, using galvanomagnetic techniques, information has been obtained on the irradiation response and subsequent recovery during annealing of the conductivity, Hall coefficient, and Hall mobility of n-and p-type silicon. The samples were bombarded at 80°K with 5 to 30 MeV electrons and isochronally annealed to 400°K. A considerable amount of annealing was observed in all cases, but the recovery was never complete.