Effect of atomic hydrogen on boron-doped germanium: An ab initio study

Abstract

Interaction between interstitial hydrogen (H) and boron (B) in germanium (Ge) is studied by at initio calculations to explore the effect of hydrogen on p -type Ge. The geometry, electronic structure, and frequency of local vibrational mode (LVM) of H in the stable B-H complex are determined. The interstitial hydrogen is found to reside between the B and Ge atoms and deactivate B dopant. The dissociation energy of the defect complex is calculated to be 1.06 eV, higher than that in Si. The frequency of LVM of isolated H at the Ge-Ge bond center and at the most stable bond minimum sites is also given and compared to experimental observations. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.