From simulation to experiment: Understanding BO-regeneration kinetics

• Slow BO regeneration causes incomplete regeneration at high temperature.
• Tmax allowing complete regeneration is determined from low temperature measurements.
• BO defects can be regenerated successfully in compensated p- and n-type silicon.

Regeneration of boron–oxygen related defects is investigated in differently compensated silicon wafers. It is shown for the first time that boron–oxygen defects can be transformed into a stable regenerated state also in compensated n-type silicon.The coupling between regeneration rate and the completeness of the regeneration reaction is simulated based on the 3-state-model of BO defects. Maximum regeneration temperatures that can be applied are determined for differently regenerating samples. The results are used to develop a high-speed process that can accelerate regeneration by two orders of magnitude without compromising neither the completeness of the regeneration process nor the stability of the resulting high minority carrier lifetime values.