Configurationally metastable defects in irradiated epitaxially grown boron-doped p-type Si - art. no. 045201

In this work, we investigate the metastability of the defect H alpha2 intro duced in epitaxially grown boron-doped p-type Si by high energy (5.4 MeV) H e-ion irradiation. Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and thermally s timulated capacitance (TSCAP) measurements were used to study the electroni c properties of the defect in each configuration. The analyses indicate tha t this metastable defect can exist in either of two configurations (A or B) and can be reversibly transformed using conventional bias-on/bias-off anne aling temperature cycles. The energy barriers for transition between these two configurations (A to B and B to A) are determined as 0.79 and 0.52 eV, respectively. In addition, we have compared the electronic properties of H alpha2 to those introduced during high-energy (12 MeV) electron irradiation and 250 keV proton irradiation. It is shown that defect HE2 introduced dur ing electron irradiation of the same epitaxially grown p-Si and a defect HP 2 introduced during 250 keV proton-irradiated boron doped float-zone (FZ) p -Si exhibit the same metastability as H alpha2 and provide further evidence that H alpha2 is hydrogen-related metastable defect.