The effects of contamination on the electrical properties of edge dislocations in silicon

Dislocations introduced by plastic deformation in silicon do not produce the effects on the electrical properties which might be expected from their acceptor-like (in n-type material) or donor-like (in p-type material) behaviour, unless the deformation is performed at relatively low temperatures. When the plastic deformation, in this paper introduced by bending, is performed at high temperatures, the dislocations generated are easily contaminated and their corresponding electrical effects tend to disappear due to the compensation resulting from the contamination. It is suggested that oxygen is the contaminating impurity.