CHARGE-STATE-DEPENDENT ACTIVATION-ENERGY FOR DIFFUSION OF IRON IN SILICON

Precipitation of neutral iron (Fe0) in n-type silicon (Si) and the generation of iron-acceptor pairs controlled by diffusion of positively charged iron (Fe+) in p-type Si are investigated by means of electron spin resonance (ESR). The temperature range in which the diffusion of Fe+ is active is found to be lower than that of Fe0 from isochronal annealing experiments. Analyses of isothermal annealing experiments at various temperatures show that the activation energies for diffusion of Fe0 and Fe+ are 0.80 and 0.68 eV, respectively.