Concentration, Solubility, and Equilibrium Distribution Coefficient of Nitrogen and Oxygen in Semiconductor Silicon

Abstract

The concentration of nitrogen and oxygen in semiconductor silicon and their solubilities in silicon at its melting point have been measured by charged particle activation analysis and infrared spectrophotometry. It has been found that: (i) commercial semiconductor silicon contains less than of nitrogen in the un‐ionized state; (ii) the solubility in solid silicon is for nitrogen and for oxygen; and (iii) the solubility in liquid silicon is about for nitrogen and for oxygen. Thus, the equilibrium distribution coefficient has been determined to be about for nitrogen and for oxygen. The solubilities of the two elements are compared with those of other elements, especially carbon, and are discussed thermochemically.