Plastic deformation of semiconductors: some recent advances and persistent challenges

Some recent results regarding the mechanical behaviour of semiconductors, mainly elemental, are critically reviewed. Topics under consideration are the core structures of dislocations in relation with glide processes and dislocation mobilities and the nucleation of dislocations, a problem encountered in specific cases in semiconductors. These new results were obtained thanks to unproved experimental techniques (e.g. direct kink imaging by HREM) or in recently appeared new materials (oriented bicrystals, Si-Ge alloys…). The rising importance of computer simulation of atomistic processes is acknowledged. Limits of present understanding are underlined and possible new experiments are suggested.