Heat treatment-induced effects in metallic Si(P): photoluminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance

Abstract

Heat treatment of silicon doped with phosphorus is found to produce marked changes in the photoluminescence and the electron paramagnetic resonance for samples containing impurity concentrations above the critical concentration [Formula: see text] for the semiconductor–metal transition. A possible explanation is suggested in terms of a heat-induced defect which is populated only when the phosphorus-doped electrons are delocalized. Clusters of Si-interstitials are considered. At concentrations greater than about 2.0 × 1019 P/cm3 the heat-induced changes are exceedingly small.