Hydrogen passivation of shallow acceptors in silicon

The common observation that point defects in semiconductors can be passivated by hydrogen is illustrated for the case of shallow acceptors in silicon. Earlier results of experimental and theoretical studies are briefly reviewed and recent progress in the understanding of the microscopic structure of acceptor-hydrogen complexes in crystalline Si is presented, with special emphasis on substitutional boron passivation as studied by nuclear techniques and Raman scattering.