Electrical characterization and annealing properties of electrically active defects introduced in n-Si during sputter etching in an Ar-plasma

Deep level transient spectroscopy was used in conjunction with current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements to characterize sputter etching-induced defects in n-Si as a function of Ar-plasma pressure. The reverse current, at a bias of 1 V, of Pd Schottky barrier diodes fabricated on the etched samples increased monotonically with decreasing plasma pressure and their barrier heights followed the opposite trend. Sputter etching created six prominent electron traps, including the VO and VP centers and V₂^/0. The non-detection of V₂^=/- is attributed to the presence of stress fields in the etched samples. A secondary defect S1 with an energy level at E_c-0.219 eV is introduced during annealing at the expense of trap P4, which has similar electronic and annealing properties as the complex vacancy cluster EAr201 (E_c-0.201 eV), created in Ar-ion bombarded n-Si.