Hydrogen equilibration in polycrystalline silicon.

Hydrogen equilibration in polycrystalline silicon was investigated as a function of annealing time and temperature using electron spin resonance and hydrogen effusion measurements. During a vacuum anneal at least 1.5×1021 cm-3 H atoms are mobile in the lattice, however, only about 3.7×1018 cm-3 H atoms passivate Si dangling bonds. The results show that the annealing treatment can cause the vast majority of H atoms to accumulate in H stabilized platelets. Since defect passivation preferentially occurs at grain boundaries and platelet nucleation and growth are confined to the interior of single-crystal grains, H equilibration is governed by two spatially separated processes. Moreover, the data demonstrate that the hydrogen density-of-states distribution is dynamic and changes in response to experimental parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]