The creation of defects by hydrogen in silver-doped silicon crystals is inv
estigated by deep-level transient spectroscopy. The electrical activity of
the substitutional silver impurities can be totally removed due to defect f
ormation with hydrogen atoms. However, this process includes the creation o
f intermediate electrically active silver-hydrogen complexes. One of the de
fects, Ag-H-1, contains one hydrogen atom and introduces three levels in th
e energy gap. Another electrically active complex is formed by addition of
a second hydrogen atom to the Ag-H-1 defect. The Ag-H complexes are stable
up to 300-350 degrees C. The electrically inactive complex includes at leas
t three hydrogen atoms and anneals out at similar to 450 degrees C. The kin
etics of the defect transformations are studied in detail, and the distance
of silver-hydrogen interaction is estimated to be very close to the lattic
e parameter. [S0163-1829(99)02308-5].