Behavior of high-density electron-hole pairs in energetic ion tracks in compound semiconductors

The behavior of the cluster of electrons and holes created along the path of energetic ions in solids has been surveyed. A brief description is made of the experimental observation recently made by the present authors on the luminescence lines due to the bi-excitons and the electron-hole plasma induced in tracks of ions bombarded into CdS and CuCl. It is pointed out that these experimental data yield information on the thermalization of energetic electrons and holes and the spread of the ion tracks. It is shown that the difference in the electron and hole masses causes a considerable difference in the behaviors of the cluster of electrons and holes in ion tracks. (orig.)