Recombination-induced athermal migration of hydrogen and deuterium in SiC

Abstract

The phenomenon of recombination-induced formation of hydrogen-defect complexes in epitaxial silicon carbide (SiC) was further investigated on p-type samples treated in deuterium plasma. Qualitatively similar effects were observed for hydrogen and deuterium. The formation of hydrogen-related (deuterium-related) defects would depend on the temperature of the sample during plasma treatment, with lower process temperatures causing only incorporation of hydrogen (deuterium) near the surface without any significant formation of electrically or optically active hydrogen-related or deuterium-related defects in the epilayer. Higher process temperatures normally produced more efficient formation of new centers, including passivation of acceptors in SiC. In all cases, prolonged excitation of the hydrogenated (deuterated) samples with above-bandgap light at reduced temperatures caused recombination-induced formation of a few different defect centers. A confirmation of the long-range athermal migration of hydrogen from the surface into the bulk of the sample was obtained. It has been established that it is the recombination-induced migration of hydrogen that is responsible for the formation of hydrogen-related defect centers under optical excitation.