Electronic defect levels in self-implanted cw laser-annealed silicon

Abstract
Electronic defect levels in self‐implanted cw Ar‐laser‐annealed silicon have been measured by deep‐level transient spectroscopy. The electron emission spectrum is dominated by two levels near the middle of the silicon forbidden energy band with activation energies of ∼0.49 and 0.56 eV. These levels can be spatially resolved in the depletion layer of Schottky diodes due to a more rapid decrease with distance in the density of the shallower level. In samples receiving a 450 °C furnace anneal (after laser irradiation) an additional level appears at 0.28 eV; the defect density is shown to decrease monotonically with depth into the silicon substrate.