Generation of surface-voltage by charged crystal defects and applications

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Working mainly on quartz crystals it has been found that crystal defects present inherently or generated deliberately on the surface and in the bulk give rise to surface voltage (called by us self-voltage) due to charged electron and hole traps produced by the defects, the self-voltage thus forming monitor of presenceof crystal defects. The self-voltage could be measured by FET instrumentation. Based on the above the crystal defects (and hence self-voltage) were reduced or practically eleminated by combination of processes of etching and annealing of the quartz, allthis reseulting in improvements of electronic characteristics of quartz crystals such as resistivity and frequency stability.