Characterisation of negative-U defects in semiconductors

Abstract

This review aims at providing a retrospective, as well as a description of the state-of-the-art and future prospects regarding the theoretical and experimental characterisation of negative-U defects in semiconductors. This is done by complementing the account with a description of the work that resulted in some of the most detailed, and yet more complex defect models in semiconductors. The essential physics underlying the negative-U behaviour is presented, including electronic correlation, electron-phonon coupling, disproportionation, defect transition levels and rates. Techniques for the analysis of the experimental data and modelling are also introduced, namely defect statistics, kinetics of carrier capture and emission, defect transformation, configuration coordinate diagrams and other tools. We finally include a showcase of several works that led to the identification of some of the most impacting negative-U defects in group-IV and compound semiconductors.

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Cited by in corpus (8)

• Identifying the ground state structures of point defects in solids
• Rapid Recombination by Cadmium Vacancies in CdTe
• Four-electron Negative-U Vacancy Defects in Antimony Selenide
• Theory of shallow and deep boron defects in 4H-SiC
• Dynamics of hydrogen in silicon at finite temperatures from first-principles
• Theory of reactions between hydrogen and group-III acceptors in silicon
• Distinguishing Ion Dynamics from Muon Diffusion in Muon Spin Relaxation II -- Extension to Paramagnetic Muons
• Redox chemistry meets semiconductor defect physics