Ion-Beam-Induced Damaging and Dynamic Annealing Processes in Silicon

Abstract

ABSTRACTWe have employed high resolution ion channeling and TEM methods to investigate the damage production and dynamic annealing processes which take place in (100) silicon bombarded at elevated temperatures. Two important observations have arisen from our results i) We have observed an amorphisation process for Sb-implanted silicon at 250°C which is more akin to amorphisation processes in metals, whereby the impurity (Sb) appears to influence the stability of amorphous zones associated with individual ion tracks. ii) We have demonstrated that previously amorphised layers in silicon can be recrystallised through a solid phase epitaxial process by subsequent bombardment with He+, Ar+ and Sb+ ions at substrate temperatures of 300–400°C, which are significantly below normal thermal regrowth temperatures of >500°C.