Science of defect control in semiconductors

Abstract

A review is presented of some scientific problems underlying defect control in semiconductors, focusing particularly on the interaction of extended defects with impurities. It is demonstrated that reaction between extended defects and impurities plays a very important role in defect control in semiconductors. Some special type of reaction incorporating impurity atoms, which does not occur in the matrix region of a crystal, can occur at the core region of an extended defect because of the peculiarity in the atomic structure there. Gettering of impurities by extended defects occurs as a result of such a reaction at some specific temperatures. Impurity gettering by an extended defect causes electrical and optical inhomogeneities in the region around it. Such inhomogeneity can be controlled by heat treatment of the crystal. Impurity gettering also results in the immobilisation of dislocations. With a suitable selection of the thermal circumstances to which a crystal is exposed the generation of dislocations from structural irregularities can effectively be suppressed.

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