Positron annihilation in Solid State studies


Positron annihilation is a non-destructive technique to study defects in Solid State –
positrons thermalize in bulk of the material and their lifetime depends on the type and concentration of defects.

Generally, three techniques: the lifetime, the Doppler-broadening of the annihilation line and
the angular correlation of the annihilation gammas methods are used.
Application of variable-energy, slow positron beams allows for a depth profiling of the material.

Case studies of positron annihilation techniques from Trento University applied to semiconductors and metals will be presented.


Dr Grzegorz Karwasz
Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia and Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Trento, Italy