Chapter 4 Hydrogen Passivation of Damage Centers in Semiconductors

Abstract

This chapter describes the hydrogen passivation of damage centers in semiconductors. It presents an analysis of specific defect centers in semiconductors. Hydrogen aids the motion of dislocations in Si, which can lead to enbrittlement. The chapter discusses the involvement of oxygen in processes that are attributed to hydrogen and the role of H in defect formation. Electrical studies show that H neutralizes defects at relatively low temperatures, suggesting that H is very mobile at low temperatures. The various defect centers in III–V materials appear to be affected by H. From infrared absorption (IR) vibrational absorption experiments, there is a multitude of vibrational bands in Si that contain H far more than the modes attributable to Si–H, Si–H2, and Si–H3. The presence of oxygen causes the broadening and overlapping of some of these modes, hindering their interpretation. Vibrational bands above 2000 cm–1 are attributed to vacancy related defects, while those below 2000 cm–1 tend to be interstitial-related. Many insights have been gained from IR vibrational spectroscopy in III–V compounds that pertain to P–H, Ga–H, and As–H modes. Also, new insights are being stimulated by the observation that H neutralizes the EL2 and DX centers.