The theory of defects in irradiated semiconductors

Abstract

Developments in the theory of defects in semiconductors rire reviewed, with emphasis on changes since the Santa Fe meeting and on the points which were controversial then. It has become clear that most of the desirable simplifications are invalid for vacancies in diamond and silicon, and probably also for similar systems. In particular one cannot use the one-electron approximation, the rigid lattice approximation, the Jahn-Teller instability with coupling within isolated levels alone, nor some of the conceptually acceptable treatments of the lattice distortion. The successes and weaknesses of the various approaches are reviewed, and some of the potential methods are described.