The Nature of Nitrogen-Oxygen Complexes in Silicon

Abstract

The nature of nitrogen-oxygen complexes acting as shallow donors in silicon was investigated by measuring the optical adsorptions due to the electronic transitions associated with donor electrons. The complexes were eliminated by heat treatment at temperatures higher than 1100°C. The generation processes of nitrogen-oxygen complexes of several kinds were traced by means of both isochronal and isothermal annealings. An analysis of the result led to a picture in which the complexes of the dominant type consist (each) of one oxygen atom and two or three pairs of nitrogen atoms.