Electronic properties of the hydrogen-carbon complex in crystalline silicon

Abstract

The electronic properties of hydrogen in carbon-doped n-type silicon have been studied using deep-level transient spectroscopy. It is demonstrated that hydrogen (H) in the presence of substitutional carbon (C) forms an H-C complex with an energy level located ≊0.16 eV below the edge of the conduction band. The H-C complex is a deep donor which is only stable in the positively charged state and dissociates after capture of free electrons for temperatures T≥300 K. The H-C dissociation kinetics yield an activation energy of 0.73 eV.

Trapping and diffusion behaviour of hydrogen simulated with TCAD in projection range of carbon‐cluster implanted silicon epitaxial wafers for CMOS image sensors

“…This activation energy is extremely close to the binding energy of the C-H 2 defect and the activation energy for the diffusion of H molecules from tetrahedral interstitial sites and multivacancy [10][11][12][13][14]. The C-H binding state in Si has also been reported in some previous studies [15][16][17][18]. However, previous papers have reported the analytical results of binding state and diffusion behaviour after heattreatment below 900 8C [19][20][21].…”

“…In our previous study, we performed epitaxial growth at approximately 1100 8C and found that H was trapped in the projection range of a C-cluster to 1100 8C after the subsequent heat-treatment. Therefore, the H binding state in the projection range of a C-cluster is presumed to differ from the C-H binding state reported conventionally [15][16][17][18]. Regarding the carbon behaviour in Si, Pinacho et al indicated that C and Si selfinterstitial (I) formed a C m I n (e.g., C 3 I 3 and C 3 I 2 ) cluster (CI cluster) in C-rich Si [22].…”

Impact of Direct Plasma Hydrogenation on Thermal Donor Formation in n-Type CZ Silicon

“…3 and 4, the lower doping concentrations found after the hydrogenation ͑10-20% lower than the starting value͒ could be related to hydrogen-induced phosphorus passivation ͑or deactivation͒. [10][11][12][13][14] Plasma hydrogenation and free carrier concentration enhancement factor.- Figure 5 shows the electron concentration corresponding to the plateau regions for the different hydrogenated and annealed samples corresponding to Table I conditions. For the longest anneals studied, the two processes ͑with and without plasma hydrogenation͒ tend to the same carrier concentration ͑around 10 16 cm Ϫ3 ), although a slightly higher value may still be achieved with hydrogenation.…”

Thermal donor formation in direct-plasma hydrogenated n-type Czochralski silicon

“…The true OTD concentration enhancement factor for this short anneal is thus much higher, if the negligible N OTD for the 30 min annealed hydrogen-free material in Table 1 is considered. The assignment of the 80 K peak to C-H follows among others from the fact that the activation energy (peak position) shows a shift to a lower peak temperature with increasing reverse bias or electric field, noticed in Table 2 and confirming its donor nature [1]. A similar type of shift is noted for the OTD singly ionized donor level (OTD +/++ ).…”

“…At the same time, hydrogen can also activate otherwise electrically neutral impurities, like carbon in silicon [1][2][3] or it plays a catalytic role in certain defect formation processes. A good example of the latter case is the generation of oxygen thermal donors (OTDs) in Si in the temperature range between 300 and 500 • C [4][5][6][7].…”