A study of 2 MeV oxygen implantation to form deeply buried SiO2 layers

Abstract

Oxygen ions were implanted into (100) oriented single crystal Si at energies in the range of 0.6 to 2 MeV at normal and oblique (60°) incidences. Oxygen concentration profiles were measured using the 16O(d, α)14N nuclear reaction for 900 keV deuterons. The experimentally measured oxygen distributions were subsequently fitted to the theoretical profiles calculated assuming the Pearson VI distribution. The distribution moments (Rp, ΔRp, ΔR⊥ skewness, and kurtosis) were deduced as the best fit parameters and compared to the computer simulation results (TRIM 87 and PRAL). Whatever the calculation method, the measured Rp and ΔRp values are close to those predicted by the theory. Deeply buried SiO2 layers were formed using a single step implantation and annealing process. A dose of 1.8 × 1018/cm2 of 2 MeV O+ was implanted into the Si substrate maintained at a temperature of 550 °C. The implanted samples were characterized using the Rutherford backscattering (RBS)/channeling technique and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). The implanted samples were subsequently annealed at 1350 °C for 4 h in an Ar ambient. The annealing process results in creating a continuous SiO2 layer, 0.4 μm thick below a 1.6 μm thick top single crystal silicon overlayer. The buried SiO2 layer contains the well-known faceted Si inclusions. The density of dislocations within the top Si layer remains lower than the XTEM detection limit of 107/cm2. Between the Si overlayer and the buried SiO2 a layer of faceted longitudinal SiO2 precipitates is present. A localized dislocation network links the precipitates to the buried SiO2 layer.