Formation and annealing of periodically arranged amorphous SiC x nanoclusters in silicon

Abstract

The formation of a continuous amorphous layer upon high-dose carbon implantation into silicon at elevated temperatures is preceded by the formation of periodically arranged amorphous SiC x nanoclusters and lamellae. The dose and temperature dependence of their formation and the annealing behavior is studied after 180 keV C + implantations at temperatures of 150–350 °C and doses of 1– 9×10 17 C/ cm 2 mainly by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). Annealing of the nanoclusters at temperatures closely above the crystallization temperature of SiC is shown to result in the partial recrystallization of lamellae into chains of spherical SiC x nanoclusters and in the formation of cavities and crystalline inclusions. The observations are discussed on the basis of a simple model.