Hydrogen injection and neutralization of boron acceptors in silicon boiled in water

Abstract
Hydrogen injection and neutralization of boron acceptors are observed in p‐type crystalline Si boiled in water. Electrical neutralization of acceptors by hydrogen was measured by capacitance‐voltage profiling of Al‐contact Schottky diodes from material boiled in light or heavy water, and confirmed by secondary ion mass spectrometry depth profiling of deuterium. Boiling 1 Ω cm p‐Si in water for 6 h (dark conditions) shows significant neutralization to ∼1 μm depth; a drastic reduction in neutralization occurs under strong white light illumination. Hydrogen injection efficiency reduces with increasing resistivity and boiling time, the latter effect suggesting that a surface limiting reaction (for example oxidation) may be involved in the generation of injection sites. Field drift of the donorlike, hydrogen‐related neutralizing defect was detected in reverse‐biased diodes.