Self-interstitial in germanium.
Low-temperature radiation damage in n- and p-type Ge is strikingly different, reflecting the charge-dependent properties of vacancies and self-interstitials. We find, using density functional theory, that in Ge the interstitial is bistable, preferring a split configuration when neutral and an open cage configuration when positively charged. The split configuration is inert while the cage configuration acts as a double donor. We evaluate the migration energies of the defects and show that the theory is able to explain the principal results of low-temperature electron-irradiation experiments.
Carvalho
A
A
School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QL, United Kingdom. carvalho@excc.ex.ac.uk
Jones
R
R
Janke
C
C
Goss
J P
JP
Briddon
P R
PR
Coutinho
J
J
Oberg
S
S