Chapter 9 Mechanisms of Oxygen Precipitation: Some Quantitative Aspects

Abstract

The chapter presents a study on some quantitative aspects of mechanisms of oxygen precipitation. The SiO 2 precipitate formation process includes two aspects, that of nucleation and that of growth. The first systematic effort to model the SiO 2 precipitate nucleation process reports that, in some Czochralski (CZ) crystals, the process may be described on a homogeneous nucleation basis. However, the complexities associated with O i precipitation in apparently normal CZ Si materials are seemingly beyond the description of the classical nucleation theory just on a homogeneous or heterogeneous basis. A large number of complexities have been observed in association with the creation of the defect-free zone (DFZ) and the wafer bulk intrinsic gettering (IG) gettering sites, all directly related to the SiO 2 precipitate nucleation and growth behaviors. A brief summary of the responsible experimental factors and the associated complexities are presented in the chapter. The chapter presents a discussion on the factors and their effects on both the SiO 2 precipitate nucleation and growth aspects, thereby, explaining some of the outstanding features mentioned. In most experimental results, the role of precipitate nucleation is not distinguished from that of precipitate growth.