H-vacancy complex VInH4 abundance and its influences in n-type LEC InP

A hydrogen indium vacancy complex V In H 4 in undoped and Fe-doped liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) InP is measured by infrared absorption spectroscopy in wafers sliced from the seed-end, middle and tail of an ingot. The concentration of V In H 4 is found much lower in wafers sliced from the ingot tail. The concentration of V In H 4 in Fe-doped InP is higher than that of the undoped InP. The concentration change of V In H 4 in an InP ingot is qualitatively in agreement with the mass action law expectation based on defect reactions. The influence of this complex on the electrical properties of n-type LEC undoped and Fe-doped InP is discussed. The high concentration of V In H 4 in the seed-end of an InP ingot correlates with two facts. The first is the high threshold concentrations of Fe and Zn required to get semi-insulating and p-type material, respectively. The second is that there is a large thermally induced reduction of carrier concentration in seed-end InP wafers than that of wafers from the ingot tail. The results reveal the influence of V In H 4 on the thermal stability of InP material due to the fact that the bond of hydrogen complex is weak and dissociates easily upon annealing. This dissociation has a relationship with the defects formed in high-temperature annealed InP, which are involved in the electrical compensation.