Optical and electrical activity of boron interstitial defects in Si

• Published in: Journal of physics. Condensed matter Vol. 15; no. 39; pp. S2851 - S2858
• Main Authors: Adey, J, Jones, R, Briddon, P R, Goss, J P
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 08.10.2003; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electron states; Elemental semiconductors; Exact sciences and technology; Impurity and defect levels; Physics; Defect states; Complex defect; Annealing; Impurity density; DLTS; Doping; Interstitials; Theoretical study; Defect clusters; Carbon additions; Oxygen additions; Impurities; Vibrational modes; Density functional method; Boron additions; Silicon; Ab initio calculations; Localized modes
• ISSN: 0953-8984; 1361-648X
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/15/39/010

Density functional theory is used to investigate boron interstitial clusters and defects formed with carbon and oxygen. Using data from experimental techniques such as deep level transient spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance, photoluminescence and infrared studies, we are able to assign structures to many observed centres and begin to develop a series of reaction paths for the evolution of boron with annealing temperature depending on the relative concentrations of impurities. Among other results we demonstrate that a metastable defect composed of two boron interstitials and a self-interstitial has symmetry, vibrational modes and an electronic structure consistent with the 12 photoluminescence centre, also known as the Y centre.