Using deep level transient spectroscopy combined with secondary‐ion‐mass spectroscopy and capacitance–voltage profiling, it is demonstrated that lithium diffusion into gold‐dopedn‐type silicon at temperatures between 200 and 300 °C results in the formation of two lithium–gold‐related complexes. One of the Au–Li complexes appears to be electrically passive and is observed indirectly as gold acceptor passivation. Virtually all passivated gold acceptors are reactivated after 30 min annealing at 400 °C of samples with comparable Au and Li concentrations in the 1014atoms/cm3range. The process can be reversed again by additional heat treatment at lower temperatures. The passivation–reactivation cycle can be repeated as long as there is enough Li present in the crystal. This reaction can be described by a mass‐action law between negatively charged gold atoms and positively charged lithium (Au−+Li+) with a free binding energy of approximately 0.87 eV. The other Au–Li complex has a deep level (labeledL1) within the silicon band gap with an activation energy of 0.41 eV. TheL1 signal is strongest after annealing at temperatures between 250 and 300 °C but weaker at lower temperatures where the electrically passive Au–Li complex is favored. From the dissociation kinetics ofL1 during reverse bias annealing it is deduced that the complex consists of one gold atom and one or more lithium atoms. Finally, using DLTS depth profiling it is observed that injection of hydrogen into the sample surface region by wet chemical etching results in deactivation of theL1 trap. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.