Diffusion doping with gold was shown to reduce the microhardness of silicon single crystals. Oxygen precipitation suppressed this process because diffusing interstitial gold atoms interacted with oxygen and became captured by growing precipitates.

Strength Degradation of Silicon Diffusion-Doped with Gold. D.I.Brinkevich, S.A.Vabishchevich, N.V.Vabishchevich, V.S.Prosolovich: Inorganic Materials, 2009, 45[ 4], 343