Hydrogen related defects in float zone silicon investigated using a shielded hydrogen plasma

Shielded Hydrogen Passivation (SHP) has been shown to be an effective technique to introduce atomic hydrogen to silicon samples. This allows the study of hydrogen related defects at a range of temperatures without any UV or other process damage. It is found that at 350°C, introduction of atomic hydrogen can cause near surface damage into n-type material that greatly reduces carrier lifetime. In contrast, p-type samples showed no initial degradation, followed by signs of degradation under hot light soaking.