Non-linear characteristics of irradiation damages in silicon by MeV Si clusters

The irradiation damages produced in silicon crystal by 0.7 and 0.4 MeV per atom Sin (n=1–3) were measured. The results of the measurement showed that the relationship between the defect concentrations and the cluster sizes is non-linear; and that the ratio of the defect concentration induced by clusters to that by single atoms increases with the decrease of the energy per atom for given-sized clusters. The experimental results can be well explained by the cooperation of the electronic and nuclear stopping processes.