The reverse-bias leakage characteristics of pn junctions were investigated with particular regard to the effects of various types of O-related defect: such as O precipitates, oxidation-induced stacking faults and grown-in defects. The effects of O-related defects upon the leakage currents of pn junctions in intrinsic gettering wafers and precipitation-annealed wafers were investigated quantitatively. The oxidation temperature which was used to form pn junctions was found to be an important factor in determining the leakage current, because O-related defects formed during low-temperature field oxidation. It was also found that grown-in oxidation-induced stacking faults degraded the leakage characteristics. Grown-in defects that were known to degrade the oxide breakdown characteristics were found to have some effect upon the increase in leakage current. It was also recognized that the leakage current of pn junctions which were formed in wafers that had a relatively high concentration of interstitial O exhibited a transient component; caused by O-related hole traps.

Effects of oxygen-related defects on the leakage current of silicon p/n junctions Y.Murakami, Y.Satoh, H.Furuya, T.Shingyouji: Journal of Applied Physics, 1998, 84[6], 3175-86