Fast neutron irradiation induced clusters in silicon-single-crystals, using X-ray diffraction

Clusters induced as effects of exposing silicon single-crystals in fast neutron reactor ambiant are studied as a damage phenomenon used in inducing well controlled and reproducible effects to be used in semiconductor materials and device technology. Single-silicon-crystal X-ray diffraction has become a well-established branch of X-ray crystallography. Widely used as a method of investigation of bulk structural properties, it can also be used as a powerful tool in revealing by visualization silicon crystal lattice defects such as fast neutron reactor irradiation induced clusters. This paper is an original contribution in this field using X-ray topography as an investigation tool.