QUANTUM-SIZE P-N-JUNCTIONS IN SILICON

Kicking-out and dissociative vacancy substitution have been investigated as two alternate mechanisms of boron (B) diffusion in silicon (Si). The criteria for dominance of each mechanism, established by systematically varying the surface parameters, were used to identify the conditions leading to the parity between the two mechanisms. The slowing down of the diffusion process thus achieved has permitted the fractal growth of the developing p-n junctions, yielding quantum-size structures featuring the high external quantum efficiencies over a broad spectral range together with low values for dark leakage currents.