Primary defect transformations in high-resistivity p-type silicon irradiated with electrons at cryogenic temperatures

It has been revealed that self-interstitials formed under low intensity electron irradiation in high resistivity p-type silicon can be retained frozen up to room temperature. Low thermal mobility of the self-interstitials suggests that Frenkel pairs in silicon can be stable at temperatures of about or higher than 100 K. A broad DLTS peak with activation energy of 0.14-0.17 eV can be identified as related to Frenkel pairs. This peak anneals out at temperatures of 120-140 K. Experimental evidences are presented that becoming more mobile under forward current injection the self-interstitials change their charge state to a less positive one. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.