Fundamental Interactions of Fe in Silicon: First-Principles Theory

Abstract

Interstitial iron and iron-acceptor pairs are well studied but undesirable defects in Si as they are strong recombination centers which resist hydrogen passivation. Thermal anneals often result in the precipitation of Fe. Relatively little information is available about the interactions between Fe and native defects or common impurities in Si. We present the results of first-principles calculations of Fe interactions with native defects (vacancy, self-interstitial) and common impurities such as C, O, H, or Fe. The goal is to understand the fundamental chemistry of Fe in Si, identify and characterize the type of complexes that occur. We predict the configurations, charge and spin states, binding and activation energies, and estimate the position of gap levels. The possibility of passivation is discussed.