Effects of High Temperature Rapid Thermal Processing on the Formation of Oxidation Induced Stacking Faults in 300 mm Nitrogen-Doped Czochralski Silicon Wafers

Abstract

Oxidation induced stacking faults (OSFs) are more readily generated in nitrogen-doped Czochralski (NCz) silicon wafers because of possessing more grown-in oxygen precipitates (OPs). This issue is worthy to be addressed. In this work, the effects of rapid thermal processing (RTP) at high temperature in different atmospheres on the formation of OSFs in 300 mm NCz silicon wafers have been investigated. It is found that the prior RTP at 1250 °C in Ar atmosphere can effectively annihilate OSFs, while that in N2 atmosphere promotes the formation of OSFs instead. The reason for this result has been elucidated in the text.