Recombination and Trapping Processes of the Injected Carriers in Gold-Doped Silicon at Low Temperatures

Abstract

Steady-state recombination and trapping processes of the injected carriers in gold- and phosphorus-doped silicon have been studied for the case that the doping and temperature range are such that the equilibrium carrier densities are small compared with the impurity density. The fluctuation of the charge in the impurity centers as a result of injection is taken into account in the charge-neutrality condition. The relationship between the injected carriers (electrons and holes) for charge neutrality is established in the form of power laws (i.e., $\Delta p=\Gamma \Delta n^{\alpha }$) that hold in different ranges of injection. Numerical analyses of $\Delta p$ versus $\Delta n$ and ${\tau }_n$ versus $\Delta n$ are presented for the case of $n$-type silicon overcompensated and undercompensated by the gold impurities.