Electronic defect levels in self-implanted cw laser-annealed silicon

Abstract

Electronic defect levels in self-implanted cw Ar-laser-annealed silicon have been measured by deep-level transient spectroscopy. The electron emission spectrum is dominated by two levels near the middle of the silicon forbidden energy band with activation energies of ∼0.49 and 0.56 eV. These levels can be spatially resolved in the depletion layer of Schottky diodes due to a more rapid decrease with distance in the density of the shallower level. In samples receiving a 450 °C furnace anneal (after laser irradiation) an additional level appears at 0.28 eV; the defect density is shown to decrease monotonically with depth into the silicon substrate.