Introduction

Abstract

The technologically useful properties of a semiconductor often depend upon the types and concentrations of the defects it contains. To improve material performance, various forms of “defect engineering” have been developed to control defect behavior within the solid. Similarly, a better understanding of surface defects is becoming increasingly important in applications. It has long been known that semiconductor defects can be electrically charged both on the surface and in the bulk. In either case, this charging can affect defect structure, thermal diffusion rates, trapping rates of electrons and holes, and other important quantities. Charging also introduces new phenomena such as nonthermally stimulated diffusion. Although numerous review articles and books have been published on the general subject of semiconductor defect structure and behavior, a comprehensive treatment of defect charging is lacking. Correspondences and contrasts in charging behavior on surfaces and in the bulk have not been clearly delineated. The same lacuna exists for the various semiconductor types (Group IV, Group III-V, and oxide semiconductors). The present book helps to fill those gaps by compiling and assessing the literature for charged defect structure, thermodynamics and diffusion. Available literature delimits the focus of this book primarily to elemental, III-V compound, and oxide semiconductors.