STUDY OF RADIATION DEFECT ANNEALING IN nc-Si/SiO2 FILM STRUCTURES

The nc-Si/SiO2 structures irradiated with gamma-quanta to a dose of 2x10(7) rad and annealed in the temperature range 50-450 degrees C have been studied. The process of radiation defect annealing was shown to be characterized by a distribution of activation energy rather than a unique value. By analyzing the isothermal annealing curves, the frequency factor A = 10(7) s(-1) was determined. Using the data on isothermal and isochronal annealing, the distribution function for the activation energy n (E-a) was calculated. This quantity is distributed within the range of 0.85-1.05 eV and has a peak at 0.96 eV. The calculated annealing parameters make it possible to conclude that radiation-induced defects, which lead to a partial quenching of photoluminescence, emerge at the Si nanocrystal-oxide matrix interface. Their nature and the mechanism of their generation are most likely similar to those which are inherent to surface states formed by ionizing irradiation at the Si-SiO2 interface in planar metal-oxide-semiconductor structures.