Radiation defects in semiconductors under hydrostatic pressure

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the sensitivity of the electrical pro perties of irradiated semiconductors as functions of the position of the Fe rmi level in the band gap of the crystal has been investigated. A numerical analysis of the experimental data has been performed. This analysis is bas ed on a model of the crystal as having an isotropic band gap < E-G>, where < E-G> is the average energy interval between the conduction band and the v alence band. It is shown that varying the pressure results in hardly any ch ange in the position of the radiation defect levels relative to the energy corresponding to the center of the isotropic gap < E-G>/2, which is identic al to the value of the "limiting" position of the Fermi level (F-lim) in an irradiated semiconductor. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7 826(99)00311-7].