Papers by Keyword: Vacancy Mechanism

Abstract: The temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient in metallic glass-forming systems do not follow the Arrhenius behavior over a wide temperature range. Instead, it exhibits a kink behavior at around the glass transition temperature. Some researchers associate this behavior to the difference in the diffusion mechanism operating in the glassy and the supercooled liquid state, whereas others do not support this view. In addition, usually, the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient is analyzed by splitting the temperature range into two regions, above and below the glass transition temperature. In the present study, we developed an analytical theory that describes the continuous variation of the diffusion coefficient across a temperature where the kink behavior is observed. According to the theory, the kink behavior arises from the freezing of free volume available for diffusion by lowering the temperature. A connection to the vacancy mechanism of diffusion has been also pointed out.

Abstract: Elemental semiconductors play an important role in high-technology equipment used in industry and everyday life. The first transistors were made in the 1950ies of germanium. Later silicon took over because its electronic band-gap is larger. Nowadays, germanium is the base material mainly for γ-radiation detectors. Silicon is the most important semiconductor for the fabrication of solid-state electronic devices (memory chips, processors chips, ...) in computers, cellphones, smartphones. Silicon is also important for photovoltaic devices of energy production.Diffusion is a key process in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. This chapter deals with diffusion and point defects in silicon and germanium. It aims at making the reader familiar with the present understanding rather than painstakingly presenting all diffusion data available a good deal of which may be found in a data collection by Stolwijk and Bracht [1], in the author’s textbook [2], and in recent review papers by Bracht [3, 4]. We mainly review self-diffusion, diffusion of doping elements, oxygen diffusion, and diffusion modes of hybrid foreign elements in elemental semiconductors.Self-diffusion in elemental semiconductors is a very slow process compared to metals. One of the reasons is that the equilibrium concentrations of vacancies and self-interstitials are low. In contrast to metals, point defects in semiconductors exist in neutral and in charged states. The concentrations of charged point defects are therefore affected by doping [2 - 4].

Abstract: In this Chapter, we review knowledge about diffusion in quasi-crystalline alloys (quasicrystals). In Section 1 we first remind the reader of some major aspects of the quasi-crystalline state and in Section 2 we introduce phase diagrams with quasi-crystalline phases, for which detailed diffusion studies are available. We mention in Section 3 the more common experimental methods for diffusion studies. The diffusive motion of atoms in quasi-crystalline alloys can be studied by the same techniques used for crystalline metallic alloys and intermetallics – measurements of radiotracer diffusion and diffusion of stable isotopes and solute atoms by SIMS profiling. The best-studied quasi-crystalline alloys are icosahedral AlPdMn, icosahedral ZnMgRE (RE = rare earth metal), and decagonal AlNiCo. The major diffusion results for these quasicrystals are reviewed in Sections 4, 5, and 6. Section 7 is devoted to the pressure dependence of diffusion in quasicrystals and to a comparison of the activation volumes with those of crystalline metals. Positron annihilation studies are also mentioned, which together with activation volumes for diffusion strongly favour a vacancy mechanism in quasicrystals. The major results and conclusions are summarized in Section 8.

Abstract: Self-diffusion, both cationic and anionic diffusion, in ZnS nanoparticles is studied here following reaction coordinate theory. The jump frequencies, at various temperatures are computed. The isotope effect reveals the self-diffusion in nano ZnS is mainly through interstitial migration.

Abstract: Self-diffusion, both cationic and anionic, in ZnO nanoparticles was studied here in accord with reaction coordinate theory. The jump frequencies at various temperatures were computed. The isotope effect revealed that self-diffusion occurred mainly via a vacancy mechanism in nano ZnO; a result not previously reported in the literature.

Abstract: We report experiments on the diffusion of n-type dopants in isotopically controlled Ge multilayer structures doped with carbon. The diffusion profiles reveal a strong aggregation of the dopants within the carbon-doped layers and a retarded penetration depth compared to dopant diffusion in high purity natural Ge. Dopant aggregation and diffusion retardation is strongest for Sb and similar for P and As. Successful modeling of the simultaneous self- and dopant diffusion is performed on the basis of the vacancy mechanism and additional reactions that take into account the formation of carbon-vacancy-dopant and dopant-vacancy complexes. The stability of these complexes is confirmed by density functional theory calculations. The overall consistency between experimental and theoretical results supports the stabilization of donor-vacancy complexes in Ge by the presence of carbon and the dopant deactivation via the formation of dopant-vacancy complexes. These results help to develop concepts to suppress the enhanced diffusion of n-type dopants and the donor deactivation in Ge. Both issues hamper the formation of ultra shallow donor profiles with high active dopant concentrations that are required for the fabrication of Ge-based n-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors.