Trap-assisted tunneling at temperatures near 77 K in laser annealed Si n(+)-p junctions

The I-V characteristics of the n(+)-p Si junction diodes prepared by laser annealing of a p-type Si substrate, covered by a Si-P thin film, were measu red in the 77-294 K temperature range. The I-V characteristics of these dio des were found to be independent of temperature in the range 77-120 K. It w as established by C-V measurements that the acceptor concentration in the p side of these diodes is in the 10(14)-10(15) cm(-3) range. A trap-assisted tunneling mechanism was used to explain the temperature-independent conduc tivity of these laser annealed n(+)-p Si junction diodes. This tunneling me chanism is based on the recombination of tunneling holes in the n-side bulk adjacent to the space charge layer in the n(+)-p junction. (C) 2001 Americ an Institute of Physics.