Influence of the Post-Diffusion Hardening Rate and Thermal Treatment on the Thermal Stability of the Charge-Carrier Lifetime in Overcompensated n-Si

The influence of the rate of hardening changing in the range 0.6–250 deg/min and of repeated thermal treatment at temperatures of up to 1020 K on the charge-carrier lifetime in overcompensated n-Si is investigated. It is demonstrated that the value of in n-Si can be controlled by adjusting the cooling rate at a constant diffusion temperature. The observed effects are discussed based on the concepts of different degrees of microinhomogeneity of the electrical conductivity in n-Si, which depends on the post-diffusion cooling rate.