Auger recombination cross section associated with deep traps in semiconductors

The Auger transition at a He-type defect, deeply binding two electrons, is investigated, with the aim of assessing the dominant factors affecting the magnitude of Auger cross sections. The usual approach is to borrow the key approximations of the effective-mass theory and simplify the evaluation of the transition matrix. In the present study, more detailed knowledge of deep levels is exploited. The results indicate that the standard effective-mass model does not seem to be suitable for the assessment of Auger recombination at deep centres.