Hot electron capture at platinum centres in n-type germanium

Abstract

Trapping and Hall mobility data have been obtained for samples of Ge doped with Pt and compensated with Sb which suggest that the charge state of the empty 0.2 eV Pt level is triply negative. The thermal electron capture rates are given. These rates are much higher than for the 0.2 eV Au- centre. Parameters for a phenomenological treatment of the trapping curves are given and the results compared with published data for Au-doped Ge. Two models involving Jahn-Teller effects are proposed which may account for the apparent highly charged nature of the empty Pt level (-3 mod e mod ) and which make this impurity of interest for further study.