Comparison between “intermediate”- and “heavy”-ion-bombardment-induced silicon amorphization at room temperature

Abstract

Cross-sectional electron microscopy and related diffraction techniques have been applied to the characterization of argon- and xenon-bombardment-induced amorphization of silicon at room temperature. “Damage” calculations have been performed to provide a theoretical support to the observations. Combining the experimental measurement of the extension of the amorphous layer for increasing doses with concepts arising from the “critical damage energy density” model leads to E dc values of about 4 eV atom −1 and 10 eV atom −1 for xenon and argon respectively, for the crystalline-to-amorphous transformation to occur. It is then suggested that “heavy” ions in contrast with “light” or “intermediate” ions are as efficient at room temperature for producing an amorphous layer as at low temperatures.