Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
In the present paper, optical absorption studies on the neutral charge state of the double acceptor zinc in silicon are presented. Measurements were carried out in the mid infrared (MIR) and in the near infrared (NIR) region. The MIR absorption spectra show the excitation series of an effective-masslike hole, from which the Zn° level position is calculated to be at Ev + 319. 1 meV. A splitting of the ground state into 3 sublevels is assigned to hole-hole coupling and crystal-field splitting. Absorption spectra obtained in the NIR are interpreted in terms of an A° X-type bound exciton.