Defect reaction and its application to silicon materials technology

As typical examples of the application of defect reaction to silicon materials technology, strengthening of silicon wafers due to the presence of supersaturated oxygen impurities and gettering of metallic impurities at various types of structural defects are discussed on the basis of the work of the author’s group. The morphology of oxygen precipitates formed on dislocations is shown to play an important role in strengthening of silicon wafers. Dependencies of the gettering efficiency at structural defects on the species and concentration of impurities, the cooling rate of crystal, and the type of structural defects are demonstrated with copper and iron impurities in silicon.