Radiation-induced bistable centers with deep levels in silicon n+–p structures

Abstract

The method of deep level transient spectroscopy is used to study electrically active defects in p-type silicon crystals irradiated with MeV electrons and α particles. A new radiation-induced defect with the properties of bistable centers is determined and studied. After keeping the irradiated samples at room temperature for a long time or after their short-time annealing at T ∼ 370 K, this defect does not display any electrical activity in p-type silicon. However, as a result of the subsequent injection of minority charge carriers, this center transforms into the metastable configuration with deep levels located at E_V + 0.45 and E_V + 0.54 eV. The reverse transition to the main configuration occurs in the temperature range of 50–100°C and is characterized by the activation energy ∼1.25 eV and a frequency factor of ∼5 × 10¹⁵ s^–1. The determined defect is thermally stable at temperatures as high as T ∼ 450 K. It is assumed that this defect can either be a complex of an intrinsic interstitial silicon atom with an interstitial carbon atom or a complex consisting of an intrinsic interstitial silicon atom with an interstitial boron atom.