  Silicon Emitting Centers (SEC) constitute promising candidates for quantum
telecommunication technologies. Their operation depends on the fabrication of
light emitting defect centers such as the triinterstitial Si complex, the
W-Center. In this paper the formation of Si tri-interstitial clusters after Ga
ion beam bombardment on pure silicon substrates and a subsequent annealing
stage is investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. This study
aims to understand the dynamic formation process of W centers after Ga
implantation and annealing in order to assist the focused ion beam and
annealing experimental systems. A new tri-interstitial cluster identification
method is proposed which considers the configuration of the clusters in the Si
lattice in order to identify the defects which will act as candidates for the W
center. This method successfully identifies W center defect candidates in an
ideal system. The number of tri-interstitial clusters increases and spread
deeper into the Si for higher energies and their probability of generation
increases until a limiting Ga dose. Furthermore, annealing can eliminate a lot
of the unwanted defects maintaining at the same time the number of the
tri-interstitial clusters, leading to isolated clusters with less distorted
local environment.
