LIGHT-INDUCED DISSOCIATION OF P-H COMPLEXES IN HYDROGENATED N-TYPE SI

The influence of illumination by white light on the stability of P-H c omplexes at room temperature is investigated. It is found that the pas sivated phosphorus in hydrogenated n-type silicon is reactivated at ro om temperature by illumination with photon energies exceeding the band gap of silicon. The annealing kinetics of P-H complexes under illumin ation has a rapid initial step and follows a second-order process for long illumination times. A dissociation model is discussed. It is assu med that annealing under illumination similar to thermal annealing res ults in the formation of molecular hydrogen species.