Bulk acceptor compensation produced in p-type silicon at near-ambient temperatures by a H/sub 2/O plasma

Journal Article · Thu Mar 15 00:00:00 EST 1984 · Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.94849· OSTI ID:5171268

Hansen, W L; Pearton, S J; Haller, E E

We report the neutralization of the shallow acceptors boron and gallium in p-type silicon to a depth >1 ..mu..m after exposure to a H/sub 2/O plasma for 3 h at temperatures as low as 80 /sup 0/C. The fact that uncompensated n-type silicon is unaffected by the plasma treatment means that donor formation is excluded. Exposure to either O/sub 2/ or H/sub 2/ plasmas does not lead to acceptor removal; however, sequential treatment in an O/sub 2/ plasma followed by a H/sub 2/ plasma produces the same effect as the H/sub 2/O plasma while the inverse sequence has no effect. Our observations can be explained with a model considering rapidly diffusing atomic oxygen and hydrogen which recombine on acceptor sites forming neutral A/sup -/OH/sup +/ complexes. The model shows that acceptor compensation kinetics is dominated by the diffusion of atomic hydrogen.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and Department of Materials Science and Mineral Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 5171268
• Journal Information: Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States), Vol. 44:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BORON
RECOMBINATION
GALLIUM
HYDROGEN
DIFFUSION
OXYGEN
SILICON
ATOM TRANSPORT
IMPURITIES
BORON COMPLEXES
GALLIUM COMPLEXES
HOLES
KINETICS
PLASMA
WATER
COMPLEXES
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
METALS
NEUTRAL-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATION TRANSPORT
SEMIMETALS
640420* - Fluid Physics- Properties & Structure of Fluids- (-1987)
360603 - Materials- Properties