Gettering Mechanisms and Optimized Lifetime Control in Pt-Doped Silicon Power Devices

We have identified the kinetics and thermodynamics constraints that determine the gettering efficiency of Pt in crystalline Si at sites as diverse as P-doped regions, cavities and ion-impantation damage. These results have been used to achieve a precise and uniform lifetime control by Pt doping in various silicon power devices avoiding the inhomogeneities associated with partial Pt gettering at the heavely doped regions and/or residual defects of the device structure.