Papers by Author: M.S. Potsidi

Abstract: Fast neutron irradiations on pre-treated Cz-grown silicon were carried out. The pretreatments involved thermal anneals at 450 oC and 650 oC under high hydrostatic pressure. We mainly examined, by means of IR spectroscopy, the effect of pre-treatments on the production of the oxygen-vacancy (VO) pair. The amplitude of the VO band was found independent on the 450 oC treatment although the amplitudes of the TDs bands were reduced. On the other hand, the amplitude of the VO band was found lower in the samples treated at 650 oC, indicating an influence on the production of the oxygen-vacancy defects. The results are discussed and explanations are suggested concerning possible interactions between thermal and radiation defects.

Abstract: Cz-grown, carbon-doped silicon samples were irradiated by fast neutrons. We investigated the annealing behaviour of oxygen-related defects, by infrared spectroscopy. We studied the reaction channels leading to the formation of various VmOn defects and in particular the VOn defects formed by the accumulation of oxygen atoms and vacancies in the initially produced by the irradiation VO defects, as the annealing temperature ramps upwards. We mainly focused on bands appearing in the spectra above 450 oC. A band at 1005 cm-1 is found to be the convolution of two bands at 1004 and 1009 cm-1. The latter band has the same thermal stability with the 983 cm-1 of the VO4 defect and therefore is also attributed to this defect. The former band has the same thermal stability with three other bands at 965, 1034 and 1048 cm-1. These four bands may be attributed to VOn (n=5,6) defects, although other VmOn complexes are also potential candidates. Furthermore, we found that pre-treatments of the samples at 1000 oC, with or without the application of high hydrostatic pressure lead to an increase in the concentration of the VO2, VO3 and generally VOn defects in comparison with that of the untreated samples.

Abstract: Effects of compressive stress on oxygen agglomeration processes in Czochralski grown silicon heat treated at T= 450OC, used as a reference temperature, and T= 600OC to 800OC are investigated in some detail. Compressive stresses of about P= 1 GPa lead to enhanced formation of Thermal Double Donors in materials annealed over a temperature range of T= 450OC – 600OC. It has been shown that the formation of thermal donors at T= 450OC under normal conditions and compressive stress is accompanied with loss of substitutional boron. In contrast, the concentration of the shallow acceptor states of substitutional boron in silicon annealed under stress at T≥ 600OC remains constant. An enhancement effect of thermal donor formation is gradually weakened at T≥ 700OC. The oxygen diffusivity sensitive to mechanical stress is believed to be responsible for the observed effects in heat-treated silicon.