Chapter 7 Electrical Properties of Oxygen in Silicon

Abstract

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a discussion on electrical properties of oxygen in silicon. Oxygen in its usual interstitial configuration in silicon is electrically inactive. For this reason, oxygen concentrations of 10 18 cm -3 in Czochralski-grown (Cz) silicon can be used for the production of integrated circuits without influencing the electrical performance of the devices. It was discovered that upon heat treatment in the temperature range of 300-550°C electrically active centers were formed in oxygen-rich silicon. These centers are donors and because of their generation under thermal treatment, were called Thermal Donors (TD). A second electrically active center in silicon was later associated with the presence of oxygen. The so-called New Donors (ND) are formed in the temperature range of 650–850°C. There has been extensive research on the formation kinetics, the properties and the structure of the TD. The chapter presents a review of this work and the limited information on the ND. After 30 years of intensive research, surprising new results, such as the bistability of TDs and the enhanced TD formation rate upon hydrogen plasma treatment, continue to be reported. The chapter presents a review of both established and controversial results, and presents an integrated framework for understanding TD phenomena.