Radiation-Stimulated Changes in the Characteristics of Surface-Barrier Al–Si–Bi Structures with Different Concentrations of Dislocations at the Crystal Surface

Abstract We report the results of studies for the radiation-stimulated changes in electro-physical characteristics of surface-barrier Al–Si–Bi structures based on p-Si. We demonstrate that the X-ray irradiation is accompanied by different processes which depend on the density of the dislocations in the original silicon crystals. A usual evolution of the existing structural defects and their radiation-stimulated ordering dominate when the concentration remains low enough. Increase in the concentration causes the increasing role of generation of additional radiation defects. Modelling of the underlying physical processes has testified that the near-contact Si layers are strained. They act as getters for the structural defects and impurities.