The effect of the vacancy concentration upon O nucleation/precipitation kinetics in Czochralski-type material was studied. The vacancies were injected into the bulk of the wafer via thermal nitriding of the surface. This treatment caused an O precipitation enhancement. The vacancy-rich material was also characterized by a significant formation of O precipitates at low temperatures; even in material in which the as-grown O precipitates had been suppressed. Experimental evidence indicated that vacancies were consumed during nucleation.

R.Falster, M.Pagani, D.Gambaro, M.Cornara, M.Olmo, G.Ferrero, P.Pichler, M.Jacob: Solid State Phenomena, 1997, 57-58, 129-36