Structure-dependent vibrational lifetimes of hydrogen in silicon

A comparision of the temperature dependence of the vibrational lifetime of two structuraly distinct point defects in crystalline silicon, H₂*, and intersitial defect, and HV . VH₁₁₀, a vaccancy complex was reported. Different temperature dependences showed that these vibrationaly excited defects decay into different accepting vibrational modes. The temperature dependence of the lifetime of H₂* was due to by TA phonons, while HV . VH₁₁₀ was governed by LA phonons. The behavior was explained in terms of distinctly different local structure of these defects and the accompanying local vibrational modes.