Silver-hydrogen interactions in crystalline silicon

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].