Can vacancies and their complexes with nonmetals prevent the lifetime reaching its intrinsic limit in silicon?

Recombination active defects are found in as-grown high-purity Czochralski (Cz) and Floating Zone (FZ) n-type silicon wafers. Due to their low concentrations, the observed defects are unlikely to be identified through Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) or Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), hence we use photoluminescence imaging, lifetime spectroscopy, and defect imaging along the ingot to help identify the defect(s). Our experimental findings suggest that vacancy-related complexes incorporated during ingot growth may be responsible for the decreased minority carrier lifetime.