Diffusion Mechanisms and Intrinsic Point-Defect Properties in Silicon

Abstract

High-purity silicon used for the growth of single crystals is a material with a high resistivity. Small traces of foreign atoms, which are mainly substitutionally dissolved on lattice sites, make the material highly conductive and therefore suitable for electronic applications. The controlled incorporation of extrinsic point defects in silicon is the main task for the production of electronic devices. Homogeneous doping is generally achieved by adding a controlled amount of the dopant element to the silicon melt. However, the fabrication of electronic devices like diodes, transistors, and complex integrated circuits requires spatially inhomogeneous dopant distributions. Control of the inhomogeneous doping profiles demanded by the considerations outlined in the article by Packan in this issue requires a detailed knowledge of the atomic mechanisms of dopant diffusion in silicon, the properties of intrinsic point defects like vacancies (V) and self-interstitials (I), and the interactions among different point defects.