Enhanced oxygen out-diffusion in silicon crystal doped with germanium

Abstract

Out-diffusion of oxygen during high temperature annealing has been investigated in Czochralski silicon with germanium doping through the spreading resistance profile and secondary ion mass spectrometry techniques. It has been suggested that oxygen out-diffusion in silicon could be enhanced by germanium doping when annealed at 1050 °C−1200 °C. Such enhancement effect increases with the annealing temperature applied to materials as well as increases with the germanium concentration introduced in silicon. It is proposed that the enhanced oxygen out-diffusion may be due to the fast diffusion channel for the interstitial oxygen atoms, which is induced by the substituted germanium atoms in silicon.