Room temperature instability of electron induced defects in n-type silicon containing germanium

n-type silicon containing germanium was irradiated with a 1.5-MeV electron beam at 300 K. An electron trap E3(Ec−0.35 eV), not observed in n-type silicon without germanium, is unstable at room temperature. Annealing studies show that the annealing kinetics is first order; an activation energy for thermal anneal of 0.63 eV and a frequency factor of 2.58×106 sec−1 were estimated. It is suggested that the E3 complex anneals by migrating to sinks where it is modified. This migration is greatly enhanced by changing the charge state of the defect. Reirradiation of E3-annealed-out devices does not produce the E3 defect state. This supports the suggestion that the complex does not anneal by dissociation but by migration to sinks where it is modified and tied up.