Hydrogen injection and neutralization of boron acceptors in silicon boiled in water

Hydrogen injection and neutralization of boron acceptors are observed in p-type crystalline Si boiled in water. Electrical neutralization of acceptors by hydrogen was measured by capacitance-voltage profiling of Al-contact Schottky diodes from material boiled in light or heavy water, and confirmed by secondary ion mass spectrometry depth profiling of deuterium. Boiling 1 Ω cm p-Si in water for 6 h (dark conditions) shows significant neutralization to ∼1 μm depth; a drastic reduction in neutralization occurs under strong white light illumination. Hydrogen injection efficiency reduces with increasing resistivity and boiling time, the latter effect suggesting that a surface limiting reaction (for example oxidation) may be involved in the generation of injection sites. Field drift of the donorlike, hydrogen-related neutralizing defect was detected in reverse-biased diodes.