A combination of electron paramagnetic resonance and minority carrier lifetime measurements was used to demonstrate unambiguously that the presence of a B diffusion layer at the surface of oxidized Si(111) wafers caused a significant increase in the interface defect density as well as interface recombination, compared to undiffused surfaces. EPR measurements show a nearly three-fold increase in the Pb center density, while the lifetime measurements indicate an increase in surface recombination activity by a factor of more than two, for B diffused samples with a sheet resistance of ~250Ω/□

The Effect of Boron Diffusions on the Defect Density and Recombination at the (111) Silicon-Silicon Oxide Interface. H.Jin, W.E.Jellett, Z.Chun, K.J.Weber, A.W.Blakers, P.J.Smith: Applied Physics Letters, 2008, 92[12], 122109