Effect of carbon situating at end-of-range defects on silicon self-diffusion investigated using pre-amorphized isotope multilayers

Abstract

The effect of implanted carbon (C) on silicon (Si) self-diffusion has been investigated using pre-amorphized 28Si/natSi multilayers. The isotope multilayers were pre-amorphized by Ge implantation followed by C implantation, and annealed at 950 °C. Because of the presence of C, the Si self-diffusion was slower in 30 min annealing than the self-diffusion without C. This was attributed to the trapping of Si self-interstitials by C. On the other hand, the Si self-diffusion with C was faster in 2 h annealing than the self-diffusion without C, except in the end-of-range (EOR) defect region. The cause of this enhanced diffusion was understood as the retardation of Ostwald ripening of EOR defects by C trapped at the defects. In the EOR defect region, however, Si self-diffusion was slower than the self-diffusion without C in both 30 min and 2 h annealing owing to the presence of C. Relaxation of the tensile strain associated with the EOR defects by the trapped C was proposed to be the main cause of the retarded diffusion in the EOR region.