Shallow Hydrogen-Related Donors after a DC H Plasma Treatment in Si

Different donor-like defects at a depth of several microns below the surface in n-type Si samples are observed after subjecting them to DC hydrogen plasma treatment, conducted with and without broadband illumination. These defects cannot be correlated with vacancies or interstitials, likely due to the low energy of H ions or hydrogen platelets typically reported after RF H plasma treatment in various studies. It is found that the concentration of these donor-like defects is highest near the surface and is significantly influenced by the oxygen or oxygen and carbon concentration in the Si samples. Several of these defects can be attributed to shallow donors, whereas other are likely to be correlated with deep-level defects. The origin of these defects will be discussed.