Implications of Accelerated Recombination-Active Defect Complex Formation for Mitigating Carrier-Induced Degradation in Silicon

A three-state model is used to explore the influence of the accelerated formation of recombination-active defect complexes on the mitigation of carrier-induced degradation in p-type silicon containing boron and oxygen. Defect formation is observed to be a critical factor for the speed at which carrier-induced degradation can be mitigated. Defect formation also plays a critical role in determining the effectiveness of mitigation at elevated temperatures. It is observed that under conventional conditions, at a processing temperature of 200 °C, approximately 170 s are required to form and passivate 99% of possible defects. The experimentally demonstrated improved effectiveness of carrier-induced defect passivation with a process time of 10 s at temperatures over 300 °C is consistent with a substantial acceleration of defect formation.