Process- and irradiation-induced defects in silicon devices

This paper reviews some important aspects of process- and irradiation-induced defects in silicon devices. Special attention is given to the application of devices on high-resistivity silicon and radiation detectors. First some comments are given concerning the availability of both standard and more advanced diagnostic tools. Before addressing the process-induced defects, a few theoretical aspects of crystalline defects and contaminants in silicon are reviewed. The discussion of the process-induced defects is restricted to two particular case studies, i.e. substrate quality and electrical performance and the impact of metallic contamination. The final section highlights some important aspects and new insights concerning irradiation-induced defects in relation to bulk damage caused by e.g. high energy protons and electrons. Not only the defect formation aspects are outlined, but also defect engineering and possible remedies to overcome or to restrict the detrimental impact of these defects on the electrical device properties are addressed.