Deep-level transient spectroscopy of low-energy ion-irradiated silicon

During electron-gun deposition of metal layers on semiconductors, the semiconductor is bombarded with low-energy metal ions creating defects in the outermost surface layer. For many years, it has been a puzzle why deep-level transient spectroscopy spectra of the as-deposited, electron-gun evaporated, n-type Schottky diodes are so simple displaying only one peak consisting of the merged E center and single-acceptor divacancy peaks, and no A center and double-acceptor divacancy peaks. With reference to a recent publication, we demonstrate that this is not due to a reduced production of divacancies and A centers in this situation but to the localization of these defects in highly defected regions.