Photoluminescence associated with thermally induced microdefects in Czochralski-grown silicon crystals

Photoluminescence in the photon energy range 0.7–1.2 eV is investigated for commercial Czochralski-grown Si crystals subjected to isothermal annealing at 650 °C for 1–450 h. A strong and sharp line appears at 0.903 eV at certain annealing stages, regardless of the sources and the conductivity type of starting materials. The intensity dependence of the 0.903-eV line on the annealing time coincides with the concentration dependence expected for Si self-interstitials emitted during the oxygen precipitation process. This is experimental evidence that microdefects responsible for this line are correlated with Si self-interstitials.