It is found that abrading two opposing surfaces of either crystalline Si or
Ge samples results in homogeneous, uniaxial stress throughout the bulk per
pendicular to the damaged surfaces. The latter are chosen to coincide with
simple crystallographic planes. This conclusion is reached by analyzing the
splittings, intensities, and polarizations of the absorption lines of the
Lyman series of bulk shallow impurities in the abraded semiconductors. This
effect has been observed for samples which range in thickness, t, from 1 t
o 3 mm, the internal stress being proportional to t(-1). (C) 2001 American
Institute of Physics.