Carrier Lifetime in ⁶⁰Co Gamma and 1 MeV Electron‐Irradiated Tin‐Doped n‐Type Czochralski Silicon: Conditions for Improving Radiation Hardness

Abstract

Herein, the results that determine some conditions for increasing the radiation hardness of 60Co gamma or 1 MeV electron‐irradiated tin‐doped n‐type Czochralski silicon (Cz n‐Si:Sn) are presented. These conditions are determined from the analysis of the formation kinetics of dominant radiation defects (namely, VO and SnV complexes) and the recombination of charge carriers through the electronic levels of these defects in samples with different concentrations of phosphorus and tin. It is shown that low‐resistivity Cz n‐Si with P doping levels >5 × 1014 cm−3 containing in addition [Sn] ≈1017–1019 cm−3 has a radiation hardening potential. In this material, the radiation degradation of carrier lifetime is several times smaller compared with Sn‐free n‐Si, whereas the conductivity compensation is negligible for both materials. The reduction of the lifetime degradation rate is due to a reduction of VO concentration in low‐resistivity Cz n‐Si:Sn.