Evidence of palladium-defect pairing in intrinsic germanium

Abstract

Time Differential Perturbed Angular Correlation measurements were performed in intrinsic germanium with the100Pd/100Rh probe. The probe was produced via92Zr(12C, 4n)100Pd and recoil-implanted into samples. Parallel measurements with the111In/111Cd probe confirmed the quality of the germanium studied. The measurements with the100Pd/100Rh probe show a modulation pattern in the ratio function with a quadrupole interaction frequency of 8.3(2) Mrad/s. The pattern depends on sample orientation and it is most pronounced after annealing at 500°C. After annealing at 700°C the effect vanishes due to strong damping of the ratio function. The pattern may be caused, similar to what has been observed for highly doped n-type silicon, by the pairing of the Pd-atom with a vacancy located in the < 111 > direction. The disappearance of the pattern would indicate the dissociation of this pair. Pair formation and dissociation may be relevant to palladium-induced-crystallization processing of germanium. Show more