Production and Annealing of Defects in Proton-Irradiated n-Ge

The damaging factor of 15 MeV proton irradiation of n-Ge is investigated. The protons during irradiation went through thin samples and in this way effects of passivation are out of the scope of the report. As a result of irradiation, considerable losses of shallow donor states of group-V impurity atoms are observed. The removal rate of shallow donor states due to interactions of impurity atoms with intrinsic defects is found to be about 215 cm-1. Most of the defects produced are electrically neutral in n-type material. The role of radiation-produced acceptors is of minor importance. The main stage of isochronal annealing is occurred over a temperature interval of T=250° to 400°C. After that point the electrical parameters are completely recovered. A model of generation processes of intrinsic defects under the proton irradiation is discussed.