Influence of high-magnetic-field on dislocation–oxygen interaction in silicon

Influence of high-magnetic-field treatments on dislocation vs. oxygen impurity interaction in Si was investigated. The locking strength of oxygen impurities against dislocations decreased with increase in exposed magnetic field up to 10 T at room temperature and 700 °C. Such phenomena could not be detected in high-purity float-zone-grown silicon crystals. These results suggest a spin-dependent solid-state reaction in impurity–dislocation interaction, which seems a possibility of modification of atomic configuration and displacement of crystalline defects in semiconductors.