Electrical activity of nitrogen-oxygen complexes in silicon

The electrical activity of nitrogen-oxygen (N-O) complexes in nitrogen-dope d Czochralski (NCZ) silicon treated by hydrogen plasma was investigated. It was observed that in the hydrogenated NCZ samples the absorption line inte nsity of m-N-O (N-O complexes inducing middle infrared absorption lines) de creased. Meanwhile, the carrier concentration in the near-surface region wa s also reduced. Thr mechanism of the interaction between hydrogen and m-N-O was analyzed. We conclude that m-N-O were also electrically active like f- N-O (N-O complexes inducing far infrared absorption lines) which were belie ved to be shallow donors. It is inferred that m-N-O and f-N-O had the same origins, it is also suggested that new complexes, m-N-O-H, were formed as a result of the interaction between hydrogen and m-N-O.