Study of the V$_2^0$ state in neutron-irradiated silicon using photon-absorption measurements

Pieces of $n$-type silicon with 3.5 k$\Omega \cdot$cm resistivity have been irradiated by reactor neutrons to fluences of (1, 5 and 10) $\times 10^{16}$ cm$^{-2}$. Using light-transmission measurements, the absorption coefficients have been determined for photon energies, $E_\gamma$, between 0.62 and 1.30 eV for the samples as irradiated and after 15 min isochronal annealing with temperatures between 80{\deg}C and 330{\deg}C. The radiation-induced absorption coefficient, $\alpha_\mathit{irr}$, has been obtained by subtracting the absorption coefficient for non-irradiated silicon. The $E_\gamma$-dependence of $\alpha_\mathit{irr}$ shows a resonance peak, which is ascribed to the neutral divacancy, V$_2^0$, sitting on a background, and $\alpha_\mathit{irr} (E_\gamma )$ is fitted by a Breit-Wigner line shape on a parameterized background. It is found that at an annealing temperature of 210{\deg}C the V$_2^0$ intensity is reduced by a factor 2, and that at the meV level, the position and the width of the fitted Breit-Wigner do not change with irradiation dose and annealing.