Features of Radiation-Defect Annealing in n-Ge Single Crystals Irradiated with High-Energy Electrons

Abstract

The isothermal annealing of n-Ge single crystals irradiated with 10-MeV electrons to the fluence Φ = 5 × 1015 cm−2 has been studied. On the basis of the measured temperature dependences of the Hall constant and by solving the electroneutrality equations, the concentrations of radiation-induced defects (A-centers) in irradiated n-Ge single crystals are calculated both before and after the annealing. An anomalous increase of the Hall constant is found, when the irradiated n-Ge single crystals were annealed at Tan = 403 K for up to 3 h. The annealing at the temperature Tan = 393 K for 1 h gave rise to the np conversion in the researched crystals. The revealed effects can be explained by the concentration growth of A-centers owing to the generation of vacancies at the annealing of disordered crystal regions.