The modification of the local structures of (310) Σ5 grain boundary in bulk Si was studied. The grain boundary was formed by float-zone growth, using a bicrystalline seed. Misalignment of the seed resulted in the formation of a grain boundary with small deviations of crystal orientation from the Σ5 singular coincidence orientation. The deviations consisted of tilt and twist components and were found to decrease monotonically with respect to the distance from the seed crystal accompanied by a decrease in density of the dislocations on the grain boundary. The change in the grain boundary structure allows a systematic study on the correlation between the structure and the electrical activity at the grain boundary. The density of dislocations was found to control the electrical activity and the (310) Σ5 coincidence grain boundary without any dislocations was expected to show a very low electrical activity.

Modification of Local Structure and Its Influence on Electrical Activity of Near (310) Σ5 Grain Boundary in Bulk Silicon. K.Kutsukake, N.Usami, K.Fujiwara, Y.Nose, T.Sugawara, T.Shishido, K.Nakajima: Materials Transactions, 2007, 48[2], 143-7