MECHANISM OF THE CONFIGURATIONAL CHANGE OF METASTABLE DEFECTS IN SILICON

From a detailed study of two different defects in silicon, excitonic A uger capture is shown to be an important mechanism of the configuratio nal change of metastable defects. A free exciton interacts with the de fect and recombines, transferring its energy to an electron, which wil l be emitted high up into the conduction band. This hot Auger electron will quickly reach the bottom of the conduction band. The liberated e nergy may excite the defect above the barrier between the two configur ations.