THEORETICAL-STUDY OF PION DAMAGE IN A(3)B(5) COMPOUNDS

A theoretical study of the radiation effects, from the point of view o f the non-ionising energy loss and of the concentration of primary def ects, in some A(3)B(5) semiconductors, has been performed. These effec ts have been analysed for charged pions, in the energy range 50 MeV-50 GeV. The investigated materials have been GaAs, InP, GaP, InAs and In Sb, and the results have been compared with silicon, as a reference ma terial, keeping into account the peculiarities of the pion-nucleus int eraction, and the recoil energy redistribution in the lattice. The res ults of the calculations have put in evidence the higher radiation res istance of Si, GaP and GaAs in the whole energy range investigated, wi th respect to the other analysed materials: InP, InAs and InSb, that p roved to be of interest from this point of view only in the intermedia te energy region. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.