Theory of spin-dependent effects in silicon

Abstract

Crystalline silicon with a large dislocation density shows a very complex magnetic-resonance spectrum. It is argued that this is due to exchange coupling between the "dangling-bond" electrons along the dislocation. A microscopic theory of this exchange as well as of the magnetic anisotropy is presented. The large spin-dependent recombination observed in dislocated silicon as well as amorphous silicon is shown to be associated with a multiphonon self-trapping process.