Defect engineering in semiconductors for nanoelectronic devices

Many designs for nanoelectronic devices rely on semiconductor materials, whose properties depend upon point defects. Control of the number and spatial distribution of these defects is becoming increasingly important. Here, principles are outlined for accomplishing such control via manipulation of the chemical state of nearby surfaces and via photostimulation. The key mechanisms have been discovered only recently, and should operate with special effectiveness at the nanoscale.