Defect Interaction and Clustering in Semiconductors

Modern semiconductor devices rely upon precise defect engineering. On the one hand: defects are the components needed to generate the electronic architecture of the device. On the other hand: they may – if not carefully controlled– induce failure of that device. During the past fifty years, the electrical and optical properties of defects, their generation, transport, clustering and reactions between them have been investigated intensively. Yet the development of semiconductor technology remains closely connected to the advances made in defect science and engineering. Compared to metals, defect control in silicon is significantly complicated by the open structure of its lattice. As a result, reactions between defects, even at room temperature, have become a central issue in defect engineering.