Reversible softening of Si single crystals under β irradiation with low doses (D < 1cGy) was revealed. The peaks observed in the dependence of the microhardness of Si on the fluence were explained by the multi-stage competing processes of transformations of radiation-induced defects.

Reversible Changes in the Microhardness of Silicon Crystals under Electron Irradiation with Low Doses. Y.I.Golovin, A.A.Dmitrievskiĭ, I.A.Pushnin, N.Y.Suchkova: Physics of the Solid State, 2004, 46[10], 1851-3