title: Growth of precursors in silicon using pseudopotential calculations.
abstract: Based on the results of pseudopotential calculations, the progression of a single interstitial into small compact clusters and ultimately into chain-like defects is examined. For clusters that consist of more than eight interstitials, the capture of bond-centered interstitials reveals a change in the growth mechanism leading to enhanced stability of clusters. The five-interstitial model is proposed to be a plausible candidate for optically active W centers, observed in ion irradiated silicon.
authors.affiliation: Emerging Technologies Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, LE1 9BH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Chichkine
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: De Souza
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sankara Narayanan