Hydrogen enhanced dislocation glides in silicon

We have studied the effects of irradiation of hydrogen plasma on the dislocation glide motion. The velocity of dislocation motion was remarkably enhanced by the irradiation in the temperature range below about 480 °C and the activation energy was reduced to 1.2 eV under hydrogen plasma from 2.2 eV in the hydrogen-free condition. We experimentally confirmed that this effect is owing neither to the light from the plasma nor to any defects induced by the irradiation but is due to the hydrogens incorporated into the sample. We also found that pre-hydrogenation treatments play an essential role for this effect to occur. The microscopic mechanism and implications of the experimental findings are discussed in the framework of the Peierls mechanism.