Extension of the scope of the photoluminescence method after electron irradiation for quantifying low-level carbon in silicon

Abstract

We have extended the applicability of the photoluminescence method after electron irradiation for quantifying low-level C impurities in Si crystals. The intensity ratio of the G-line to the intrinsic emission normalized by the ratio of the reference sample is used as an index of the C concentration. The calibration curves have already been established for Czochralski-grown crystals with resistivity higher than 50 Ω·cm (n-type) and higher than 5 kΩ·cm (p-type). We showed that the method was extendable to the resistivity range down to 30 Ω·cm in n-type samples with the O concentration in the range 1-6×1017 cm-3. The extension to float-zone (FZ) crystals was realized by using the theoretical relationship between the C concentration and the G-line intensity ratio normalized by the ratio of the FZ reference sample. Regarding the extension to conductive p-type B-doped samples, the formation of B-related radiation-induced defects was found to be an obstacle.