Influence of annealing on the dislocation-related electrical conductivity of germanium

Germanium n-type single crystals with a donor concentration of 3 x 10(12) c m(-3) were deformed at 760 degrees C to strains of delta less than or equal to 71% with a rate of 6 x 10(-3) s(-1), cooled to room temperature, and th en annealed for t less than or equal to 20 h at 900 degrees C. Low-temperat ure static electrical conductivity due to holes trapped by dislocations and transported along a branching dislocation network was measured before and after annealing of the deformed samples. It was found that annealing enhanc es the dislocation-related electrical conductivity in the samples with delt a < 50% and diminishes this conductivity in the samples with delta > 60%. S elective etching and X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the main struct ural distinction of the samples with delta > 60% is the presence of recryst allized regions. The influence of annealing on dislocation-related electric al conductivity is explained by an increase in connectedness of the disloca tion network for delta < 50% and by a decrease in this connectedness in the case of delta > 60%. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".