Deep Level Impurities in Germanium and Silicon: Low Temperature Passivation or Removal Techniques

Deep level impurities and defects in high-purity germanium and silicon radiation detectors are often the cause of degraded spectral resolution. Exposure of the semiconductor diode to a low pressure hydrogen plasma may neutralize the electrical activity of a wide range of line and point defects and contaminating impurities, such as copper in Ge and gold in Si. The efficiency and thermal stability of this technique are discussed. The application of other novel methods of defect removal, such as the room temperature drifting of charged defects out of the depletion region under the action of the electric field in a diode, and the recombination enhanced annealing of radiation damage centers in Ge is also discussed.