skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Fermi-Level-Pinning Defects in Highly {ital n}-Doped Silicon

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
;  [1]; ; ; ;  [2]
  1. NEC Research Institute, Princeton, New Jersey 08540-6634 (United States)
  2. Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974 (United States)

Based on first-principles calculations and analysis of x-ray absorption measurements, an unconventional mechanism is proposed for the saturation of carriers in highly n -doped Si. The mechanism is Fermi-level pinning from a new class of defect centers containing two separated but interacting dopant atoms with no associated Si vacancies. The number of such centers increases sharply at high doping levels. A simple model provides very good agreement with the maximum carrier concentrations observed in Si. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

OSTI ID:
554394
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 79, Issue 24; Other Information: PBD: Dec 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English