Comparative studies of defect production in heavily doped silicon under fast electron irradiation at different temperatures

Production processes of electrically active defects in degenerate silicon subjected to 2.5 MeV electron irradiation at T = 4.2 K and T = 300 K have been studied. The production rates of primary and secondary defects in irradiated samples are analyzed on the basis of the known properties of radiation-produced defects in Si. It has been demonstrated that a striking difference in the production rates of electrically active defects in n- and p-Si under irradiation at cryogenic temperatures may be related to the different fate of Frenkel pairs in both materials. The production rate of primary defects in degenerate Si was found to be between 1.5 cm(-1) and 2 cm(-1)