Electrical characterization of defects introduced in n-Ge during electron beam deposition or exposure

Abstract

Schottky barrier diodes prepared by electron beam deposition (EBD) on Sb-doped n-type Ge were characterized using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Pt EBD diodes manufactured with forming gas in the chamber had two defects, E0.28 and E0.31, which were not previously observed after EBD. By shielding the samples mechanically during EBD, superior diodes were produced with no measureable deep levels, establishing that energetic ions created in the electron beam path were responsible for the majority of defects observed in the unshielded sample. Ge samples that were first exposed to the conditions of EBD, without metal deposition (called electron beam exposure herein), introduced a number of new defects not seen after EBD with only the E-center being common to both processes. Substantial differences were noted when these DLTS spectra were compared to those obtained using diodes irradiated by MeV electrons or alpha particles indicating that very different defect creation mechanisms are at play when too little energy is available to form Frenkel pairs. These observations suggest that when EBD ions and energetic particles collide with the sample surface, inducing intrinsic non-localised lattice excitations, they modify defects deeper in the semiconductor thus rendering them observable.