Positron trapping at grain boundaries

A simple model is developed for the trapping of positrons at grain boundaries. It is shown that there is a linear relationship between any linear annihilation parameter and the inverse grain size. An effective grain boundary width is defined, which depends on the positron diffusion length and on the strength of the grain boundary for positrons. The effect of detrapping on this effective width is also considered. The model is tested by using the experimental results available in the literature.     

Positron lifetime and 2D-ACAR studies of divacancies in Si

We have measured positron lifetime and Two Dimensional Angular Correlation of Annihilation Radiation (2D-ACAR) distributions of Floating-Zone grown (FZ) Si specimens containing divacancies (V₂) with the definite charge states, V ₂ ⁰ , V ₂ ^–1 or V ₂ ^–2 from room temperature to about 10 K. These charge states are accomplished by an appropriate combination of dopant species, their concentration and irradiation doses of 15 MeV electrons. with reference to the currently accepted ionization level of divacancies. The positron lifetime of the negatively charged divacancy increases with temperature, while that of the neutral divacancy shows little change with temperature. The positron trapping rate, obtained from lifetime and 2D-ACAR measurements, increases markedly with decreasing temperature. This is found not only for the negative divacancies but also for the neutral divacancy. We need a model which explains this temperature dependence. The 2D-ACAR distribution from positrons trapped at divacancies shows nearly the same distribution for the different charge states, which differs considerably from the case of As vacancies in GaAs studied by Ambigapathy et al. We have observed a small but definite anisotropy in the distribution of trapped positrons in V ₂ ^– using a specimen containing oriented divacancies.Paper presented at the 132nd WE-Heraeus-Seminar on Positron Studies of Semiconductor Defects, Halle, Germany, 29 August to 2 September 1994     

Positron diffusion in solids and the reconstruction of inhomogeneous defect distributions from lifetime measurements

The time dependent diffusion trapping equations for positrons implanted into inhomogeneous solids are analyzed. This problem is of central importance in the study of polycrystalline materials and for the application of pulsed positron beams to defect studies in materials research. The main problem in previous investigations was the necessity to solve the time-dependent diffusion equation. It prevented analytical treatment in all but the simplest applications. For the first time this difficulty is eliminated by invoking a new concept, the observable local annihilation characteristics for local implantation of positrons into the thermalized ensemble. It will be shown that the local annihilation characteristics are governed by field equations which reduce to the well known quantities of the standard trapping model in the case of homogeneous defect distributions. Furthermore, inhomogeneous defect distributions are uniquely determined from the field equations provided the local annihilation characteristics are known. Analytical solutions are derived and applied successfully to recent experimental results for a selection of simple, but realistic problems. The formal procedure includes internal drift fields and could be extended to cover also the epithermal period of positron thermalization, if necessary.     

Positron lifetime and Doppler-broadening measurements in noble metals and their alloys

Positron annihilation measurements in pure copper and silver as well as in the alloysCuGe,CuIn,CuSb, andAgSb have been performed. Most of the measurements have been carried out in thermal equilibrium. In this way it is possible to deduce vacancy formation — and vacancy — solute atom binding energies. ForCuIn alloys with 3.3 at.% and 7.1 at.% indium precipitation effects have been studied.This paper is based upon a talk given by W.L.-T. at the Int. Symp. Production of Low-Energy Positrons with Accelerators and Applications Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen (1986)     

Positron trapping in indium

The positron annihilation lineshape was measured in indium in the temperature range between 74 K and the melting point (430 K). A model based on self-trapping of positrons and trapping by vacancies was fitted through the data. A vacancy formation enthalpy of (0.48±0.03) eV was obtained.     

Positron trapping in electron-irradiated silicon crystals

The positron lifetime in electron-irradiated undoped and doped silicon crystals is studied as a function of temperature between 90 and 300 K. We show that the temperature dependence of the two lifetime components does not arise from the escape, but from the trapping rate at defects. The temperature dependences of the capture cross sections are deduced. It is concluded that in undoped crystals the positrons interact with negatively charged and neutral defects, probably divacancies and vacancy-oxygen complexes, respectively. In strongly P-doped crystals positron trapping occurs preferably in negatively charged centers.     

Nucleation process of stacking fault tetrahedra in gold studied by positron lifetime spectroscopy

By component analyses of positron lifetime spectra in quenched gold, it was found that positrons are strongly trapped by stacking fault tetrahedra (SFT) at which the lifetime is about 160 ps remarkably smaller than that for monovacancies (200 ps) or divacancies (220 ps). Positron lifetimes at small vacancy clusters were also estimated in relation to the nucleation process of SFT, with the aid of computer simulation of kinetics of vacancy clustering during quenching and on subsequent isochronal annealing. The results show that large atomic relaxation occurs in small vacancy clusters among which pentavacancies have the largest open-space, thereby having the lifetime of about 230 ps larger than that of trior tetra-vacancies (160ps). It is also suggested that tetra- and penta-vacancies act as prenuclei for stable nuclei of SFT consisting of six or more vacancies.Present situation: Professor Emeritus     

Using positron 2D-ACAR as a probe of point defects in GaAs: The As vacancy as a case study

Two-Dimensional Angular Correlation of positron Annihilation Radiation (2D-ACAR) experiments have been performed on n-type GaAs. By combining these results with those from positron lifetime experiments, the momentum distribution of the arsenic vacancy in its neutral (V _aAs ⁰ ) and negative (V _As ^– ) charge states have been extracted. These distributions were all normalized to the respective positron lifetime that characterizes them. The first thing to be noticed is that the momentum distributions of the vacancies, as seen by the positron, are fairly isotropic and structureless. The distribution forV _As ⁰ is more peaked than that ofV _As ^– while the latter is more intense in the large momentum regions of the spectra. From this, it can be inferred that VA. has a smaller open volume thanV _As ⁰ A closer look at the momentum distribution of the vacancies reveals that they are not entirely isotropic, but, in fact, have a bulk-like component. Finally, the experimental results for bulk GaAs andV _As ^– compare well in a qualitative manner with the momentum distributions that result from an ab-initio molecular dynamics calculation.     

Positron annihilation in the quenched and electron-irradiated NiSb intermetallic compound

Samples of the near equiatomic NiSb compound were irradiated by 3 MeV electrons at 20 K or quenched from 1103 K and 1333 K and subsequently annealed isochronally. The behaviour of defects created by quench or irradiation were studied by the positron annihilation technique. Only one recovery stage was found around 425 K for quenched specimens, but two distinct stages (100 K and 425 K) were observed after irradiation. The 425 K stage is ascribed to the migration of Ni vacancies giving dislocation loops. The recombination of mobile interstitials with vacancies after irradiation is assumed to occur between 100 K and 250 K. Doppler broadening and lifetime variations of positrons as a function of the measuring temperature in these irradiation samples are discussed.     

A positron lifetime study in quenched Pb(Ag) alloys

Positron lifetime measurements have been made in quenched or irradiated pure Pb and in quenched Pb(Ag) alloys. From positron investigation of annealing behaviour, the precipitation of silver atoms in dilute alloys should be understood in terms of (Ag-Pb) interstitially migrating pairs. The presence of di-interstitials (Ag-Ag) or complexes [Ag(S)-V] as mobile defects responsible for the Ag transport process in concentrated alloys is discussed.     

Positron lifetime measurement in NaNO2

Positron lifetimes in NaNO₂ were measured as a function of temperature. The lifetime spectra consisted of one component, and could not be resolved into two component. The positron trapping model is not applicable in this case. Observed changes of lifetimes around the transition temperature could not be understood only by the volume dilatation, but they must be affected by the ferro-para electric phase transition     

Positron annihilation at defects in sintered high-T c perovskite superconductors

We report positron lifetime measurements in sintered superconducting YBa₂Cu₃O_7–x and GdBa₂Cu₃O_7–x oxides. It is shown that the thermal behaviour of the positron lifetime spectra strongly depends on the preparation of the ceramics. A lifetime of 190±3 ps is attributed to oxygen deficient regions. Two lifetimes of 251±7 ps and 225 ±5 ps are attributed to a cation vacancy presenting a temperature dependent atomic arrangement. The lifetime transition (251225ps) occurs during decreases in temperature across the resistivity superconducting transition. This lifetime change indicates that the volume of the cation vacancy decreases in the superconducting state.     

On the interpretation of positron-annihilation data in powders and fine-grained materials

Monte-Carlo simulations of positron diffusion are carried out for powders consisting of spherical and ellipsoidal particles with and without defects. Following Bergersen et al. [1], elastic positron-phonon interaction is considered to be dominant for scattering processes in positron diffusion. The central question is which fraction of the positrons would be able to reach the particle boundaries. Hence, we calculate the Fraction of Positrons reaching particle Surface (FPS). The presence of defects in the particles can drastically reduce FPS depending on the defect concentration and capture rate. We demonstrate that for small-grained materials the grain surface can influence the lifetime signal significantly.Paper presented at the 132nd WE-Heraeus-Seminar on Positron Studies of Semiconductor Defects, Halle, Germany, 29 August to 2 September 1994     

Microstructural evolution of ZnS during sintering monitored by optical and positron annihilation techniques

Positron lifetime and optical absorption techniques were employed to track the microstructural evolution of polycrystalline ZnS grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). As grown material and material treated with Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP) was sintered at temperatures ranging from 400 to 1000°C for 2–18 h. A 290 ps defect lifetime could be resolved in all samples, while an additional longer lifetime (=430 ps) was found only in samples annealed at low temperatures. This component gradually disappeared during annealing at 800°C. Associated with the disappearance of the long-lived component, the apparent bulk lifetime of the material changed from 235 to 215 ps. A 215±2 ps bulk parameter was also found for HIP-treated material annealed at temperatures greater than 400°C and hence is taken to represent the delocalized state of the positrons in ZnS. Optical absorption measurements showed that annealing at 800°C also caused the absorption profiles of the CVD and HIP samples to converge. The rate of the bulk lifetime transition correlates with the absorption changes. The observed sharpening of the absorption profile is attributed to a decrease in scattering from grain boundaries and voids, and a decrease in absorption from point defects. The 430 ps lifetime is believed to be due to trapping at voids and grain boundaries, while the 290 ps lifetime likely is due to a monovacancy stabilized as a small complex.Paper presented at the 132nd WE-Heraeus-Seminr on Positron Studies of Semiconductor Defects, Halle, Germany, 29 August to 2 September 1994     

Trapping of positrons at vacancies in magnesium

Trapping of positrons at vacancy-type defects in magnesium was studied by positron lifetime and Doppler-broadening measurements. Vacancy defects were produced by quenching, electron irradiation and deformation at low temperatures as well as by thermal agitation at elevated temperatures. In the first three cases we observed trapping at multiple vacancies, which anneal out between 77...400 K. Thermal equilibrium measurements show S-shape behaviour originating from positron trapping at magnesium monovacancies. However, changes in the positron parameters were very small, which is due to the weakness of the positron-vacancy interaction. A detrapping analysis yielded a positron-vacancy binding energy of the order of 0.3...0.4 eV.     

Vacancies and impurities in InP studied using positron lifetime and an improved Doppler-broadening spectrometer

In ^- in Zn-doped p-InP. The line-shape parameter measured by an improved Doppler-broadening spectrometer shows a significant difference between n-type and Fe-doped SI-InP materials: the S-parameter varies from 0.5203 in n-InP to 0.5184 in Fe-doped SI-InP by four times the standard deviation. A possible reason for this difference is discussed. Received: 7 January 1997/Accepted: 8 September 1997     

Isothermal annealing of room temperature deformed iron studied with the positron annihilation technique

Positron-annihilation lineshape parameter measurements were performed during isothermal annealing of room temperature deformed iron. An isothermal annealing effect is seen in impure iron while in pure iron no effect is measured.     

Vacancy migration energy in quenched Al-Mg0.01 alloy by positron annihilation

The isothermal recovery rates of vacancy-impurity complexes in an aluminium-1% magnesium alloy are measured in situ at eight temperatures from variations of colinear annihilation -rays versus time. These data analysed in terms of a time dependant ⁺-trapping model yield two apparent migration energies of 0.8 eV±0.1 eV and 0.9 eV±0.05 eV. The nature of the complexes is discussed and their binding energy is estimated.     

The relationship between void size and positron lifetime in neutron irradiated molybdenum

A number of molybdenum specimens, each containing a characteristic void size spectrum, have been subjected to positron lifetime measurements. Although the average void size varied in radius from 9 Å to 45 Å the long positron lifetime in the specimens was remarkably constant with τ₂ = 465±5 ps. Therefore for the range of void sizes examined, this parameter appears to be independent of the void size.