Some Consequences of Thermal Neutron Capture in Silicon and Germanium

Abstract

The average value of the kinetic energy of recoil following thermal neutron capture and subsequent gamma‐ray emission is 780 ev in silicon and 180 ev in germanium. For every neutron captured in silicon, 0.04 P³¹ atom (therefore, 0.04 excess electron) are formed by radioactive decay. For every neutron captured in germanium, 0.098 As⁷⁵, 0.012 Se⁷⁷ (therefore, 0.122 excess electron), and 0.304 Ga⁷¹ atom (therefore, 0.304 excess hole) are ultimately formed, in this time sequence. Analysis of an experiment of J. W. Cleland on the decay of irradiated n‐type germanium gives 0.8 electron removed from the conduction band per initially recoiling germanium atom.