Multistage radiation-stimulated changes in the microhardness of silicon single crystals exposed to low-intensity beta irradiation

摘要

Radiation-stimulated and postradiation changes in the microhardness of silicon single crystals exposed to irradiation with a low-intensity flux of beta particles (I = 9 x 10(5) cm(-2) s(-1), W = 0.20 + 0.93 MeV) are studied. It is established that the inversion of the radiation-induced plastic effect occurs at a characteristic irradiation time tau(c) = 75 min; i.e., irradiation of silicon single crystals for a time tau < tau(c) leads to nonmonotonic reversible hardening, whereas nonmonotonic reversible softening is observed under irradiation for a time tau > tau(c). It is demonstrated that there exists a correlation between the nonmonotonic dependences of the microhardness and the concentration of electrically active defects at acceptor levels with energies E-c - 0.11 eV, E-c - 0.13 eV, and E-c - 0.18 eV on the irradiation time. (c) 2005 Pleiades Publishing, Inc.