Characterization of electron traps in n-InP induced by hydrogen plasma

Deep electron traps in n-InP introduced by hydrogen (H-2)-plasma treatment and/or by annealing have been studied by means of isothermal capacitance transient spectroscopy (ICTS). Three electron traps, (Ec-0.51 eV), (Ec-0.34 eV) and (Ec-0.54 eV), which are designated E2, E3 and E4 trap, respectively, are revealed at and near the surface. When the samples are treated with H-2 plasma, only E2 traps are detected, while E4 traps are entirely passivated with hydrogen. An isochronal annealing experiment for the He-plasma-treated samples shows first-order process of E2 trap with the activation energy and the attempt-to-escape frequency of 1.5 eV and 3.2 X 10(14) s(-1), respectively. The thermal dissociation energy of hydrogen from E4 traps and the attempt-to-escape frequency are estimated to be 1.65 eV and 4.9 x 10(13) s(-1), respectively. It is worth while to note that all of these traps were not detected in the sample treated with phosphine (PH3) plasma.