Impact of hydrogenation on electrical properties of NiSi₂ precipitates in silicon

Abstract

Influence of annealing in molecular hydrogen as well as of treatment in hydrogen plasma (hydrogenation) on the electrical properties of NiSi₂ precipitates in n- and p-type silicon has been studied by means of deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Both annealing and hydrogenation gave rise to noticeable changes of the shape of the DLTS-peak and of the character of its dependence on the refilling pulse duration that according to [1] allows one to classify the electronic states of extended defects as “band-like” or “localized”. In both n- and p-type samples DLTS-peak in the initial as quenched samples showed bandlike behaviour. Annealing or hydrogenation of n-type samples converted the band-like states to the localised ones but differently shifted the DLTS-peak to higher temperatures. In p-type samples, the initial “band-like” behaviour of DLTS peak remained qualitatively unchanged after annealing or hydrogenation. A decrease of the DLTS-peak due to precipitates and the appearance of the peaks due to substitutional nickel and its complexes were found in hydrogenated p-type sample after removal of a surface layer of 10-20µm.