How Do Vacancies and Interstitials Affect Material Properties?
The presence of these defects can significantly influence the properties of nanomaterials:
1. Mechanical Strength: Vacancies can weaken a material, but controlled introduction of vacancies can improve toughness by creating dislocation pinning points. 2. Electrical Conductivity: In semiconductors, vacancies can alter the charge carrier concentration, thereby tuning the material's electrical properties. 3. Optical Properties: The presence of defects can lead to localized states within the band gap of semiconductors, affecting optical absorption and emission properties. 4. Thermal Conductivity: Defects can scatter phonons, reducing the thermal conductivity of the material, which is beneficial in thermoelectric materials.
