Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Frenkel defect

A Frenkel defect, named after Soviet Yakov Il'ich Frenkel (1894–1952), is a point defect in crystalline solids in which an or is displaced from its site to a nearby position, creating a paired vacancy and interstitial that maintains the overall and charge neutrality of the crystal. First proposed by Frenkel in as part of his work on thermal motion in solids, this defect arises from the thermodynamic favorability of introducing disorder at elevated temperatures, with the equilibrium concentration governed by an Arrhenius expression involving the defect formation energy. Frenkel defects are most prevalent in ionic crystals exhibiting a significant size disparity between cations and anions, enabling the smaller cations to occupy sites with lower energy cost; common examples include (AgCl), (AgBr), (ZnS), and compounds like Li₂O and ZnO. Unlike Schottky defects, which involve the creation of paired cation and anion vacancies leading to a loss of sites, Frenkel defects preserve the total number of atoms while generating mobile charged species—such as cation vacancies (effective negative charge) and cations (effective positive charge)—that form electrically neutral pairs. These defects significantly influence material properties, including enhancing ionic conductivity through vacancy-mediated diffusion, facilitating atomic transport in ceramics and semiconductors, and contributing to recovery via dynamic annealing processes in irradiated materials. The formation energy for a Frenkel pair, typically on the order of 1–2 eV in relevant ionic solids, is lower than for Schottky pairs in many cases, making Frenkel defects dominant in open crystal structures at high temperatures.

Fundamentals

Definition and Characteristics

A Frenkel defect is a type of point defect in crystalline solids, characterized by the displacement of an atom or ion from its normal lattice site to an adjacent interstitial position, resulting in the formation of a vacancy-interstitial pair. This defect was first theoretically proposed by Yakov Frenkel in 1926 to explain thermal motion and diffusion in solids. Unlike extrinsic defects introduced by impurities, the Frenkel defect is intrinsic and arises spontaneously due to thermal agitation, preserving the overall chemical composition of the crystal. In ionic crystals, Frenkel defects typically involve the smaller cations, such as Ag⁺ or Zn²⁺, migrating to sites while leaving behind cation vacancies, as the larger anions remain relatively fixed. This occurs preferentially in structures where there is a significant size disparity between cations and anions—often with the cation much smaller than the anion—allowing the cation to occupy interstitial voids without excessive . Such defects are common in compounds with relatively open , like zinc blende (ZnS) or rock salt variants (AgCl, AgBr), where coordination numbers are low and interstitial space is available. The self-compensating nature of the pair maintains both mass and charge neutrality, distinguishing it from defects that alter . At the atomic scale, a Frenkel defect manifests as an empty site (vacancy) paired with the displaced in a nearby location, typically along close-packed directions such as <110> or <111> in face-centered cubic to minimize . The proximity of the vacancy and interstitial reduces local compared to isolated defects. The formation energy of a Frenkel pair is lower than the sum of energies for creating a separate vacancy and interstitial, owing to the Coulombic attraction between the oppositely charged components and decreased volume expansion. This energetic favorability contributes to higher defect concentrations in materials prone to such pairing.

Formation Mechanism

The Frenkel defect was first proposed by Yakov Frenkel in to explain the phenomenon of ionic conductivity in solid crystals, where he described the displacement of atoms or s from positions to sites due to . In the formation mechanism, a Frenkel defect arises when excitation provides sufficient energy to displace an , typically a cation, from its regular site to a nearby position, creating a vacancy- pair; this process requires overcoming an barrier associated with the distortion and . , such as from particle bombardment, can also induce non- formation by directly knocking s out of their positions through collision cascades, generating Frenkel pairs far exceeding levels. Frenkel defects are favored in ionic crystals where the cation-to-anion radius ratio r_+ / r_- is low, indicating significant size disparity between cations and anions, allowing the smaller cation to more easily occupy with lower energy cost, combined with open structures that provide accessible positions and high-temperature annealing conditions that enhance thermal activation. The formation energy plays a key role, as lower values reduce the overall defect creation barrier in such systems. Under , the concentration of Frenkel defects is determined by minimizing the of the system, leading to the approximate expression for the number of defects n \approx \sqrt{N N_i \exp\left( -\frac{E_f}{kT} \right)}, where N is the number of lattice sites, N_i is the number of available sites, E_f is the formation of the Frenkel pair, k is the , and T is the absolute temperature; this reflects the balance between energetic cost and entropic gain from defect configurations. Non-equilibrium concentrations of Frenkel defects can be achieved through rapid from elevated temperatures, which freezes in a higher defect population before occurs, or via high-energy particle that produces transient pairs through ballistic displacements.

Physical Properties

Impact on and Volume

Frenkel defects result in minimal changes to the overall of crystalline materials, typically a slight increase or near constancy, because the process involves no net loss of atoms from the —unlike Schottky or vacancy defects, which reduce by removing s entirely. The interstitial displaces surrounding atoms, leading to local in some cases, but the paired vacancy partially offsets this by allowing , preserving the total mass while keeping volume alterations small. At the scale, Frenkel defects cause local distortions: expansion around the due to the added atom and contraction near the vacancy from reduced repulsion, but the overall crystal remains nearly conserved owing to the close association of the pair. The net relaxation associated with a Frenkel defect is small, approximately 0.1–0.5 volumes, reflecting the partial cancellation of the positive from the interstitial (around 0.13 volumes in MgO) and the negative contribution from the vacancy. Early theoretical models often underestimated these pairing effects, predicting larger net distortions by treating vacancies and interstitials independently without accounting for their proximity-induced relaxations. These subtle effects are measured using X-ray diffraction, which detects minor shifts in parameters indicative of strain from defect pairs, while direct measurements, such as pycnometry or ' method, confirm the remains nearly unchanged. In irradiated KCl and KBr, for instance, combined parameter and macroscopic length change analyses provide evidence of Frenkel pair formation without significant bulk volume alteration. The concentration of Frenkel defects increases with temperature, following n \approx \sqrt{N N_i} \exp\left(-\frac{E_f}{2kT}\right), where N and N_i are site densities, E_f is the formation energy, k is Boltzmann's constant, and T is temperature; however, even at elevated temperatures with defect fractions up to several percent, the resulting density impact stays below 1% due to the small relaxation volume per pair.

Influence on Electrical Conductivity

Frenkel defects significantly enhance ionic conductivity in materials by introducing mobile charge carriers through the formation of vacancy-interstitial pairs. In ionic solids, these defects enable ion hopping, where interstitial ions move through the lattice or vacancies facilitate counter-ion diffusion, leading to net charge transport. The ionic conductivity \sigma can be expressed as \sigma = n q \mu, where n is the density of mobile carriers (primarily from the concentration of Frenkel pairs), q is the ion charge, and \mu is the ion mobility. This mechanism is particularly prominent in compounds with Frenkel disorder, such as silver halides, where the interstitial cations exhibit high mobility compared to bulk lattice ions. The for conduction in Frenkel defect systems is generally lower for motion, typically in the range of 0.5-1 , than for vacancy-mediated in perfect lattices (often 2-3 or higher). This reduced barrier promotes faster ion transport and is key to the behavior of superionic conductors, where Frenkel defects allow conductivities approaching those of liquids at elevated temperatures. For instance, in \alpha-AgI, the for Ag^+ motion is approximately 0.05-0.2 , enabling exceptionally high ionic above 146°C. Experimental evidence from Arrhenius plots of versus inverse temperature often reveals a defect-dominated regime at mid-temperatures (e.g., 200-500°C), where the corresponds to the of , transitioning to intrinsic at higher temperatures. In semiconductors, Frenkel defects influence electronic conductivity by introducing localized states that act as shallow donors or acceptors, thereby modifying the band gap and carrier concentration. atoms from Frenkel pairs can donate electrons to the conduction band, creating n-type conductivity, while associated vacancies may form acceptor levels; these shallow levels (typically 0.01-0.1 eV from band edges) enhance free carrier density at . Additionally, deeper states arising from interstitial-vacancy pairs can capture carriers, reducing overall but influencing recombination dynamics. Such effects are observed in materials like , where self-interstitials contribute donor-like behavior, altering electronic transport properties. However, at very high Frenkel defect concentrations (e.g., >1% of sites), clustering of interstitials and vacancies occurs, which associates carriers and impedes their , thereby reducing overall . This limitation is evident in heavily defective ionic conductors, where defect interactions increase the effective and lower \mu in the conductivity equation.

Comparisons

With Schottky Defects

A Schottky defect consists of a pair of vacancies, one in the cation sublattice and one in the anion sublattice, ensuring charge neutrality in ionic crystals by removing equal numbers of oppositely charged ions that migrate to the crystal surface. In contrast to the Frenkel defect, which involves a vacancy paired with an interstitial ion without net loss of atoms, the Schottky defect results in a net removal of atoms from the lattice, leading to a measurable decrease in crystal density. This structural distinction arises because Frenkel defects redistribute ions internally, preserving the overall atom count, while Schottky defects effectively shrink the lattice by creating two unoccupied sites. The formation energy of Schottky defects is typically lower in close-packed ionic structures, approximated as roughly 2-3 times the energy of a single vacancy due to the creation of paired vacancies, making them energetically favorable in materials like NaCl where ion sizes are similar and interstitial sites are less accessible. For Frenkel defects, the formation energy is given by the sum of vacancy formation energy and interstitial formation energy minus any between the pair, often higher in such structures but lower in open lattices like ZnS, where small cations can more easily occupy positions. In specific calculations for compounds like PbFCl, Schottky defect formation energies (around 2.21 eV) are significantly lower than those for Frenkel defects, underscoring the energetic preference for vacancy pairs over interstitial-vacancy pairs in certain ionic crystals. Regarding physical properties, Schottky defects reduce more substantially than Frenkel defects due to the net atom loss, whereas Frenkel defects maintain but introduce local from interstitials. Both defect types enhance electrical conductivity in ionic solids by providing charge carriers, but the mechanisms differ: Schottky defects facilitate transport via vacancy migration, while Frenkel defects promote it through hopping. Schottky defects predominate in high-symmetry, close-packed ionic crystals such as NaCl and KCl, where vacancy formation is easier, whereas Frenkel defects are more prevalent in structures with accessible interstitial sites, like ZnS and AgCl, due to size disparities between cations and anions.

With Vacancy Defects

An isolated occurs when a single site in a is unoccupied, leaving an empty position that can carry a charge depending on the electronic structure of the material. This defect results in a notable reduction in the 's due to the missing and disrupts the overall , as the number of no longer matches the ideal composition. In comparison, a Frenkel defect consists of a vacancy paired with a nearby atom or , creating a compensated structure that maintains electrical neutrality without altering the total number of particles. This pairing helps preserve the crystal's density more effectively than an isolated vacancy, which typically necessitates aliovalent doping—introduction of impurities with differing valences—to achieve charge balance in non-elemental systems. Isolated vacancies generally exhibit higher formation energies when unpaired, rendering them less stable in isolation, whereas Frenkel defects benefit from the attractive between the vacancy and components, which stabilizes the defect pair overall. The presence of Frenkel defects promotes enhanced atomic via interstitial-mediated pathways, which occur more rapidly than the vacancy-assisted diffusion dominant in vacancy-only scenarios within metals or covalent solids. Vacancy defects predominate in elemental crystals like metals, where the close-packed makes interstitial sites energetically unfavorable, whereas Frenkel defects are more prevalent in compound crystals that offer viable positions, particularly for smaller constituent atoms.

Examples and Applications

In Ionic Solids

In (AgCl) and (AgBr), Frenkel defects predominantly involve interstitial Ag⁺ ions paired with cation vacancies, dominating the intrinsic disorder in these rocksalt-structured crystals. These defects lead to a significant increase in , with measurements showing a marked rise starting around 200–300°C as the thermal population of Frenkel pairs enhances Ag⁺ ion mobility. Historical studies by Tubandt and Lorenz in the first demonstrated the high cationic in silver halides through experiments, laying the groundwork for recognizing Frenkel disorder as the key mechanism. In zirconia (ZrO₂), which adopts a , oxygen Frenkel defects—consisting of oxygen vacancies and interstitial oxygen —are prevalent and contribute to its use as an in solid oxide s. These defects enable high oxygen at elevated temperatures, facilitating efficient transport in applications. Uranium dioxide (UO₂), also with a , exhibits cation Frenkel pairs under conditions, where displaced U⁴⁺ ions form interstitial-vacancy pairs that contribute to fuel swelling in nuclear reactors. This defect accumulation alters the lattice volume and mechanical properties, impacting the performance and safety of elements during operation. Frenkel defects in ionic solids like these are confirmed through techniques such as ionic thermocurrent spectroscopy, which detects the release of trapped charges from defect pairs during controlled heating, providing evidence of their formation and recombination. A representative quantitative example is (CaF₂), another fluorite-structured ionic solid, where the anion Frenkel defect formation energy is approximately 2.3 eV, leading to a defect concentration that follows the relation n \propto \exp(-E_f / 2kT), with E_f as the formation energy, k Boltzmann's constant, and T temperature. This exponential dependence underscores the thermal activation required for significant defect populations in such materials.

In Semiconductors

In zinc oxide (ZnO), Frenkel defects involving oxygen atoms, such as pairs of oxygen vacancies and interstitial oxygen, act as shallow donors that contribute to unintentional n-type by introducing states near the conduction edge. These defects are prevalent in ZnO due to its open structure and are particularly significant in device applications like varistors, where they enhance nonlinear electrical response, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), where controlled defect concentrations improve injection efficiency. In (), Frenkel defects such as gallium interstitials paired with gallium vacancies (Ga_i - V_Ga) or nitrogen interstitials with nitrogen vacancies (N_i - V_N) form during high-pressure growth conditions, introducing mid-gap states that narrow the effective bandgap and influence properties by promoting non-radiative recombination or defect-related bands. These defects are critical in optoelectronic devices, as they can shift wavelengths and reduce in blue LEDs and laser diodes, necessitating precise growth control to minimize their density. Silicon carbide (SiC), particularly in its hexagonal 4H polytype, exhibits silicon Frenkel pairs (Si_i - V_Si) induced by or high-temperature processing, which create deep-level traps that affect lifetimes and thermal stability essential for high-temperature like power transistors and sensors operating above 500°C. These defects influence device performance by altering the bandgap through localized states, but controlled engineering can leverage them for radiation-hardened applications in . Defect engineering of Frenkel pairs in semiconductors enables tailored optoelectronic properties, such as modulating states for improved charge separation in photodetectors and cells, where irradiation-induced Frenkel defects in materials like degrade efficiency by increasing recombination rates and reducing minority carrier diffusion lengths by up to 50% under proton or electron exposure. Recent post-2020 studies on two-dimensional semiconductors like MoS₂ have demonstrated Frenkel-like interstitial-vacancy pairs, formed via thermal annealing, that enable tunable n-type doping by shifting the and enhancing for and sensors.

References

  1. [1]
    nglos324 - frenkel
    Frenkel, Frenkel Defect. Index. Yakov Ilich Frenkel (1894 to 1952) was a Russian theoretical physicist who worked on the solid and liquid states of matter.
  2. [2]
    Yakov I. Frenkel - IISS
    In 1926 Frenkel introduced the key idea of defects of crystalline structure. He showed that the “evaporation” of atoms (or ions) from their equilibrium ...Missing: original | Show results with:original
  3. [3]
    [PDF] Ionic point defects - MIT Open Learning Library
    Schottky Defect -- a paired set of cation and anion vacancies. • Frenkel Defect -- a cation vacancy-cation interstitial pair. Material. KCl.
  4. [4]
  5. [5]
    The role of Frenkel defect diffusion in dynamic annealing in ion ...
    Jan 6, 2017 · The formation of stable radiation damage in crystalline solids often proceeds via complex dynamic annealing processes, involving migration ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  6. [6]
    None
    ### Frenkel Defect Summary
  7. [7]
    Über die Wärmebewegung in festen und flüssigen Körpern
    Download PDF · Zeitschrift für Physik ... Cite this article. Frenkel, J. Über die Wärmebewegung in festen und flüssigen Körpern. Z. Physik 35, 652–669 (1926).Missing: JZ | Show results with:JZ
  8. [8]
    [PDF] 3.091 – Introduction to Solid State Chemistry Lecture Notes No. 6 ...
    Real crystals are never perfect: they always contain a considerable density of defects and imperfections that affect their physical, chemical, ...
  9. [9]
    Frenkel Defect - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
    Frenkel defects are defined as point defects consisting of a vacancy and an interstitial defect pair, formed when a lattice ion is displaced from its site, ...Geomagnetism · 5.07. 4.1. 3 Ionic, Or Point... · Electromagnetic Properties...<|control11|><|separator|>
  10. [10]
  11. [11]
  12. [12]
  13. [13]
    [PDF] Defects in Solids - Fritz Haber Institute
    • Frenkel defect. (ion on interstitial site). AgBr: Ag. Ag. → Ag i. + + V. Ag ... n; -e: electron concentration and charge for holes for electrons. T. B. A. Δ.Missing: sqrt( | Show results with:sqrt(<|control11|><|separator|>
  14. [14]
    Ionic conductivity of nano-scale γ-AgI - ScienceDirect.com
    At room temperature, the ionic conductivity is about two orders of magnitude larger and the activation energy is 0.12 eV smaller than that of normal AgI.
  15. [15]
    Characterization of zirconium oxides part II: New insights on the ...
    May 1, 2020 · The ionic conductivity of zirconia is ultimately driven by crystal lattice defects, such as Frenkel defects, Schottky disordering ...
  16. [16]
    Interstitial Defect - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
    Recent careful rf μSR investigations give the activation energy of 0.38 ± 0.6 eV for transition from Mu+ in the BC to Mu0 in Td (Kreitzman et al., 1995).
  17. [17]
    Structural and Electronic Properties of Frenkel and Schottky Defects ...
    May 22, 2019 · The results of density functional theory calculations on the stability and the structural and electronic properties of Frenkel and Schottky defects at the MgO{ ...Introduction · Methodology · Results and Discussion · Supporting Information
  18. [18]
    Atomic-scale investigation of cation doping and defect clustering in ...
    Oct 22, 2021 · This indicates that dopant-vacancy interactions will not significantly reduce the Na-ion mobility of Mg-doped Na3OCl. Second, all other ...
  19. [19]
    Schottky Defects - Chemistry LibreTexts
    Jun 30, 2023 · A Schottky defect will always result a crystal structure in equilibrium--where no crystal is going to be too positive or too negative.
  20. [20]
    [PDF] CHAPTER 4 - Crystal Defects and Noncrystalline Structure
    Figure 4-9 Two common point defect structures in compound structures are the Schot- tky defect and the Frenkel defect. Note their similarity to the structures ...
  21. [21]
    [PDF] Chapter 4 Point defects and dislocations
    A point defect in a crystal is (i) the occupancy of a lattice sites by impurity atoms/ions or a voids (i.e. vacancy); or (ii) extra atoms/ions not in regular ...
  22. [22]
    First-principles study of the intrinsic defects in | Phys. Rev. B
    Nov 1, 2006 · The present calculations also reveal that the formation energies of Schottky defects are much lower than those of Frenkel defects. Therefore it ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  23. [23]
    [PDF] Lecture 24 Ionic conductivity and Diffusion Mechanism
    Two types of defects important in the context of ion mobility in crystals are 'Schottky' and 'Frenkel' defect. These belong to the class of 'point defects ...
  24. [24]
    Difference Between Schottky Defect and Frenkel Defect
    In Schottky defect, both cation and anion leave the solid crystal. In Frenkel defect, only the smaller ion (cation) leaves its original lattice site; whereas, ...Missing: structure | Show results with:structure
  25. [25]
    [PDF] Crystal Defects in Ionic Solids - Jhargram Raj College
    Due to this defect the density of the ionic solid remains unchanged. Such Frenkel defect is shown by the ionic compounds having: (condition): ... Density Change.
  26. [26]
    Interaction between helium and intrinsic point defects in 3C-SiC ...
    Jun 13, 2017 · They argued that Frenkel pairs are more stable than isolated single defects due to the attractive interaction between vacancies and ...
  27. [27]
    Minimizing the diffusivity difference between vacancies and ...
    Jan 24, 2024 · Interstitial atoms usually diffuse much faster than vacancies, which is often the root cause for the ineffective recombination of point defects ...
  28. [28]
    Defect models in silver halides | Bulletin of Materials Science
    Silver halide crystals AgCl and AgBr exhibit all the three types of intrinsic point defects, namely, cationic Frenkel disorder, Schottky disorder and the bound ...
  29. [29]
    Anomalous high-temperature ionic conductivity in the silver halides
    Feb 15, 1975 · The ionic conductivity of pure AgCl and AgBr crystals has been measured carefully for a range of temperatures of 300 °C below the melting point.
  30. [30]
    Solid State Ionics: from Michael Faraday to green energy—the ...
    Yakov Il'ich Frenkel (1894–1952): Frenkel disorder. In 1926, the Russian physicist Yakov Il'ich Frenkel published a most seminal theoretical paper [42]. To cite ...
  31. [31]
    Investigation of oxygen point defects in cubic ZrO 2 by density ...
    The formation of charged-defects in stabilized zirconia under electron and ion irradiation has been confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  32. [32]
    [PDF] atomistic simulations of defect structures in solid oxide fuel cell ...
    Oxygen conducting electrolytes typically have structures related to fluorite, such as stabilized zirconia, doped ceria, stabilized δ-Bi2O3 and pyrochlores ...
  33. [33]
    Swelling Mechanisms of UO2 Lattices with Defect Ingrowths - PMC
    Aug 5, 2015 · When a UO2 crystal is exposed to radiation, Frenkel pair (FP) defects are created along the direction of irradiation. A FP results when ...
  34. [34]
    Cluster dynamics simulation of uranium self-diffusion during ...
    Dec 15, 2019 · As fission fragments pass through UO2 nuclear fuel, a considerable concentration of Frenkel pair defects (i.e. vacancies and interstitials) ...
  35. [35]
    Investigation of thermally induced anion disorder in fluorites using ...
    Aug 10, 2025 · Frenkel defects are common in fluorite ... ionic conductivity, ionic thermocurrent, dielectric and anelastic loss) is also given.
  36. [36]
    [PDF] THE EFFECT OF HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE ON THE IONIC ~«''2J.w
    The·form- ation energy of a Frenkel defect for SrF2 is found to be liEf = 2.28±0.11 eV. The existence of region IV, at the highest temperatures, was ob ...
  37. [37]
    Native point defects in ZnO | Phys. Rev. B
    Oct 4, 2007 · As-grown ZnO frequently exhibits high levels of unintentional n -type conductivity, and native point defects have often been invoked to explain ...
  38. [38]
    Origin of n-type conductivity in ZnO crystal and formation of Zn and ...
    A sharp drop of resistivity of ZnO layer has been observed after the laser irradiation, explaining this by the formation of oxygen defects through the thermal ...
  39. [39]
    [PDF] First-Principles Exploration of Defect-Pairs in GaN - arXiv
    The calculations showed: (i) after structural relaxation, 2 defect-pairs VGa-Gai and VN-Ni (Frenkel defect pair) are annihilated and 4 defect-pairs. VGa-GaN and ...
  40. [40]
    Luminescence properties of defects in GaN - AIP Publishing
    In this review a comprehensive and critical analysis of point defects in GaN, particularly their manifestation in luminescence, is presented.IV. LUMINESCENCE... · Yellow and green... · Red and green luminescence...
  41. [41]
    Photoluminescence evidence for silicon Frenkel defects in electron ...
    Apr 17, 2023 · The nature of defects in 4H SiC was studied by means of low temperature photoluminescence before and after energy-controlled electron ...
  42. [42]
    A comparative study of low energy radiation responses of SiC, TiC ...
    May 15, 2016 · It reveals that C displacements are dominant in the cascade events of the three carbides. The associated defects in SiC are mainly Frenkel pairs ...
  43. [43]
    A short review of radiation-induced degradation of III–V photovoltaic ...
    The radiation-induced degradation of PV-cells is due to the defects created by ions or nuclei particles that strike the solar cells' wafers. The striking ...
  44. [44]
    Frenkel-defected monolayer MoS2 catalysts for efficient hydrogen ...
    Apr 22, 2022 · We report a Frenkel-defected monolayer MoS 2 catalyst, in which a fraction of Mo atoms in MoS 2 spontaneously leave their places in the lattice.