Opto-electronic semiconductor technology continues to grow at an accelerated pace, as the industry seeks to perfect devices such as light emitting diodes for purposes of optical processing and communication. A strive for greater efficiency with shrinking device dimensions, continually pushes the technology from both a design and materials aspect. Nanosystems such a quantum dots, also face new material engineering challenges as they enter the realm of quantum mechanics, with each system and material having markedly different electronic properties. Traditionally, the semiconductor industry has focused on materials such Group II-VI and III-V compounds as the basis material for future opto-electronic needs. Unfortunately, these material systems can be expensive and have difficulties integrating into current Si-based technology. The industry is reluctant to leave silicon due in part to silicon's high quality oxide, and the enormous amount of research invested into silicon based circuit fabrication. Although recently materials such as GaN are starting to dominate the electro-optical industry since a Si-based substitute has not been found. The purpose of the dissertation was to examine several promising systems that could be easily integrated into current Si-based technology and also be produced using simple inexpensive fabrication techniques such ion implantation. The development of optically active …

A new understanding of the damage formation mechanisms in Si is developed and investigated over an extended range of ion energy, dose, and irradiation temperature. A simple model for dealing with ion-induced damage is proposed, which is shown to be applicable over the range of implantation conditions. In particular the concept of defect "excesses" will be discussed. An excess exists in the lattice when there is a local surplus of one particular type of defect, such as an interstitial, over its complimentary defect (i.e., a vacancy). Mechanisms for producing such excesses by implantation will be discussed. The basis of this model specifies that accumulation of stable lattice damage during implantation depends upon the excess defects and not the total number of defects. The excess defect model is validated by fundamental damage studies involving ion implantation over a range of conditions. Confirmation of the model is provided by comparing damage profiles after implantation with computer simulation results. It will be shown that transport of ions in matter (TRIM) can be used effectively to model the ion-induced damage profile, i.e. excess defect distributions, by a simple subtraction process in which the spatially correlated defects are removed, thereby simulating recombination. Classic defect studies …