Dipole defects in Al2O3:Mg,Cr

In this work, dipole defects are investigated applying the thermally stimulated depolarisation currents (TSDC) technique. The TSDC spectra of Al2O3 doped with Mg and Cr show two bands centred at 230 K and 250 K, respectively. The maximum intensity of the bands increases linearly with the polarisation field, a typical behaviour of defects with dipole origin. An increase of the band at 250 K with gamma irradiation has been observed and a thermal decrease of the bands for heat treatments between 1000 K and 1400 K. Above this temperature the bands are partially recovered. Impurity neutron activation analysis shows that magnesium. chromium and iron content varies from 15 to 60 ppm. Optical absorption (AO) measurements show a broad band centred in 2.6 eV (21000 cm(-1)) associated with trapped holes localised on an O- ion adjacent to a cation site which is deficient in positive charge. It has been assumed that a substitutional Mg2+ ion occupies the cation site near a trapped hole on one of the six oxygen ions surrounding the magnesium impurity giving rise to the dipole responsible for the observed TSDC bands. Calculations carried out through defect simulation methods confirm that the probability of Al3+ being replaced by Mg2+ is higher than Mn2+, Co2+, Fe2+ and Cr2+.