Diffusion, Precipitation, and Cavity-Wall Reactions of Ion-Implanted Gold in Silicon

Abstract

AbstractThe diffusion of Au in Si and its binding to cavities and to precipitates of the equilibrium Au-Si phase were investigated in the temperature range 1023-1123 K using ion implantation and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The diffusivity-solubility product for interstitial Au was found to be about an order of magnitude greater than the extrapolation of previous, indirect determinations at higher temperatures. Chemisorption on cavity walls was shown to be more stable than Au-Si precipitation by 0.1-0.3 eV in the investigated temperature range, indicating that cavities are effective gettering centers for Au impurities.