Lifetime recovery in p-type Czochralski silicon due to the reconfiguration of boron-oxygen complexes via a hole-emitting process

The recovery of the light-degraded lifetime during annealing in darkness at 120 to 160 degrees C is examined in boron-doped p-type Czochralski silicon (Cz-Si) as well as in compensated Cz-Si codoped with boron and phosphorus. The rate constant for the recovery is found to be inversely proportional to the hole concentration for both boron-doped and compensated material. Our experiments confirm a model, in which the process of recovery is assigned to a reconfiguration of a boron-oxygen defect complex, whereby a hole is emitted. The activation energy for the recovery process is determined to be (1.36 +/- 0.06) eV. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3581215]