Origin of room-temperature photoluminescence around C-line in electron-irradiated Si and its applicability for quantification of carbon

We demonstrate that a broad emission band is observable at room temperature in the vicinity of the carbon-related C-line detected at cryogenic temperatures in electron-irradiated Si. Its spectral shape is different from similar shapes of the bands due to dislocations, oxygen precipitates, and thermal donors. The band is annealed out at 450 degrees C and its intensity ratio to the band-edge emission has a positive correlation with carbon concentration in the same manner as the C-line. We deduce that the band has a very similar origin to the C-line and discuss the possibility of carbon quantification by using the ratio as an index. (C) 2018 The Japan Society of Applied Physics