Temperature Dependences of the Nonradiative Multiphonon Carrier Capture and Ejection Properties of Deep Traps in Semiconductors. II. Interpretation and Extrapolation of Capture Data

On the basis of our semiempirical theory of nonradiative multiphonon (NMP) carrier capture processes a numerical analysis and extrapolation of experimental data on electron capture coefficients of the third acceptor level of copper and the second acceptor level of gold in germanium is made. The associated configuration coordinate diagrams are determined. From the correlation between NMP electron and hole capture properties follows that the NMP mechanism for hole capture is comparatively little effective (at usual temperatures). The activation of NMP carrier capture by thermal motion of the lattice is found to be more pronounced than suggested by Sinyavskii and Kovarskii. the uncertainties inherent to extrapolations up to very high temperatures are shown analytically to be much larger than expected by Henry and Lang. The high‐temperature capture cross‐sections of the traps under study are estimated to lie within the range 10−16 to 10−14 cm2. A modification is presented of the analytical apparatus adequate for numerical applications in the ranges of low and intermediate temperatures.