Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
A new recombination mechanism occuring in semiconductors containing extended defects is presented. The model is based on experimental data both from hydrogen plasma treated silicon, containing extended defects like platelets, and from oxygen precipitated silicon. The broad photoluminescence bands from these samples are attributed to the heavily damaged regions surrounding the extended defects, where electrons and holes can be localized in the strain-induced potential wells. From a theoretical calculation it is shown that the compressive strain field surrounding [111] and [100] platelets are sufficient to cause a local band gap reduction of as much as 0.3 eV, consistent with the experimental data.