Microscopic Mechanism of Hydrogen Passivation of Acceptor Shallow Levels in Silicon

Abstract

A microscopic model is proposed which explains recent observations that acceptor shallow levels in crystalline silicon can be inactivated by atomic hydrogen. We are assuming that substitutionalboron-interstitial-hydrogen complex pairs are being formed which passivate the shallow acceptor action of the boron impurity. Rigorous self-consistent calculations show that the acceptor level is removed from the gap and the boron electrical activity is clearly neutralized.