HYDROGEN SOLUBILITY IN SILICON AND HYDROGEN DEFECTS PRESENT AFTER QUENCHING

Boron-doped silicon ([B] approximately 10(17) cm-3) was heated in H2 gas at a temperature in the range 900 less-than-or-equal-to T less-than-or-equal-to 1300-degrees-C and quenched to room temperature. Some of the dissolved hydrogen formed H-B pairs and the remainder (H(h)), which was infrared inactive, was released during anneals at T less-than-or-equal-to 200-degrees-C leading to an increase in [H-B]. The total hydrogen content, consistent with secondary-ion mass spectrometry, yielded a solubility given by S(H) = 9.1 x 10(21) exp(-1.80 eV/kT) cm-3. 2 MeV electron irradiation at room temperature converted H(h) into defects incorporating two hydrogen atoms, suggesting that H(h) may be present as H-2 molecules.