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Hybrid functional study of point defects in germanium

Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017.

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Other Authors: Meyer, W.E. (Walter Ernst)
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2017
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Meyer, W.E. (Walter Ernst)
author_browse Meyer, W.E. (Walter Ernst)
author_facet Meyer, W.E. (Walter Ernst)
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2017 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:38:40.521Z
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publishDate 2017
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publisher University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/60813 Hybrid functional study of point defects in germanium Meyer, W.E. (Walter Ernst) elgumuk@gmail.com Andrew, Richard Charles Igumbor, Emmanuel UCTD Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. Germanium exhibits electron and hole mobilities that are higher than silicon. These unique properties make Ge a promising material for the development of metal-oxide semiconductor eld e ect transistors (MOSFETs). Point defects in semiconductors in uence the electronic structure as well as the thermodynamic and optical properties of the material. Well-known defects in Ge have been intensively studied experimentally and results reported. In the past, defects in Ge were di cult to study theoretically, since the local density approximation (LDA) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functionals in the framework of density functional theory (DFT) incorrectly predict Ge to be a metal. However, the screened hybrid functional developed by Heyd, Scuseria, and Ernzerhof (HSE) accurately predicts the band gap and gives better estimates of the charge state transition levels of point defects in semiconductors. This thesis reports the results of DFT calculations using the HSE06 functional to predict the structural, electronic and charge state thermodynamic properties of Ge di-interstitials, rare earth (RE) substitutional and interstitial impurities as well as vacancy-RE impurity complexes in Ge. Results obtained showed that the Ge di-interstitial could exist in three con gurations with formation energies between 6.53 and 7.63 eV. The lowest energy con guration was the double tetrahedral con guration with a binding energy of 1.24 eV. This con guration induced only a shallow donor level at an energy of 0.04 eV below the conduction band minimum. Other con gurations of the Ge di-interstitial exhibited negative-U ordering. RE interstitials in Ge formed with formation energies between −4.76 and 6.71 eV, with the Pr interstitial in Ge having the lowest formation energy at −4.76 eV for the neutral charge state in the tetrahedral con guration. The tetrahedral con guration was the most stable con guration for the Ce, Pr, Eu and Tm, while the Er interstitial showed charge state controlled metastability. While the Ce interstitial induced a shallow donor level in the band gap, the Eu and Er interstitials induced deep levels within the band gap of Ge. The Pr interstitial in Ge did not induce any charge state transition levels, with the neutral charge state stable for all Fermi energies in the band gap. Tm3+ defects in Ge formed with formation energies between 1.81 and 5.31 eV for the neutral charge state. Of all the Tm3+ related defects in Ge studied, the Tm3+ i in the tetrahedral con guration formed with the lowest formation energy of 1.81 eV. Tm3+ i induced a shallow donor level, while Tm3+ Ge and Tm3+ i -VGe induced both acceptor and donor levels that were deep and shallow. Tm3+ substitutional and vacancy complex (Tm3+ Ge-VGe) in Ge exhibited charge state controlled metastability and negative-U ordering. The role of the di-interstitial, vacancy related defects, substitutional impurities and vacancy-interstitial complexes in Ge were pointed out and it is expected that the data and information presented will be useful in the process modelling of Ge-based devices for industrial, laboratory applications and for comparison to experimental results. Physics PhD Unrestricted 2017-06-05T12:10:41Z 2017-06-05T12:10:41Z 2017-05-10 2017 Thesis Igumbor, E 2017, Hybrid functional study of point defects in germanium, PhD Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60813> A2017 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60813 en © 2017 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Hybrid functional study of point defects in germanium
title Hybrid functional study of point defects in germanium
title_full Hybrid functional study of point defects in germanium
title_fullStr Hybrid functional study of point defects in germanium
title_full_unstemmed Hybrid functional study of point defects in germanium
title_short Hybrid functional study of point defects in germanium
title_sort hybrid functional study of point defects in germanium
topic UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60813