Thermally stimulated current studies of bismuth silicon oxide crystal. II. Trapping kinetics

Abstract

Thermally stimulated current (TSC) of nominally undoped bismuth silicon oxide crystals was measured as a function of the UV excitation temperature and time. It was shown that trapping into the shallowest of the three major traps observed by TSC is a precursor state for electrons to be trapped into deeper traps. When the crystal is UV excited at liquid nitrogen temperature, electrons which fill this shallow trap may ultimately fall into deeper traps. When this shallow trap is not occupied, the deeper traps are not filled, even if the UV excitation temperature is well below the TSC peaks of the deeper traps.