The annealing behaviour of radiation-induced defects in Czochralski-grown n-type crystals, doped with copper via high-temperature (600 or 650C) in-diffusion, was studied using Hall-effect measurements and deep-level transient spectroscopy. The results indicated that radiation-induced vacancy-type defects (divacancies V2 and vacancy–oxygen complexes VO) were effective traps for copper atoms. The interaction of Cu with VO and V2 reduced their annealing temperature and led to the formation of electrically active centers at Ec - 0.60eV and Ec - 0.17eV. These were assumed to be Cu–VO and Cu–V2 complexes. Enhanced annealing of the radiation-induced vacancy-type defects in Si<Cu> was due to the fact that these defects captured Cu interstitials released from neutral Cu-containing associates at above 150C.

Interaction of Copper Atoms with Radiation-Induced Defects in Silicon. L.I.Murin, I.F.Medvedeva, V.P.Markevich: Inorganic Materials, 2010, 46[4], 333