Hydrogenation and passivation of electron-beam-induced defects in N-type Si

Abstract

Annealing and hydrogenation behaviors of electron-beam-induced defects in n-type Si have been investigated by deep-level transient spectroscopy. Hydrogenation has been performed by boiling samples in H2O or D2O at 120°C in an autoclave. The E1 level (A center: O–V complex), E2 level (double-negative charge state of the divacancy) and E3 level (single-negative charge state of the divacancy) are hardly annealed at as low a temperature as 120°C, while hydrogenation by boiling dramatically reduces the concentration of these levels. A new level emerges near 0.33eV below the conduction band edge after boiling, which may be a radiation-induced defect-hydrogen or -deuteron complex. Reappearance of E1 level by annealing after hydrogenation suggests that disappearance of E1 level by hydrogenation is not due to the destruction of A center, but to a mere vanishing of the electronic level due to e.g. formation of the A center-hydrogen or -deuteron complex.