Ion beam synthesis of Mn/Sb clusters in silicon

Abstract

In order to investigate the formation of Mn/Sb clusters embedded in crystalline silicon, sequential ion implantation with fluences of 1 × 1016 at cm−2 and 2 × 1016 at cm−2, respectively, was used to incorporate Mn and Sb ions at high concentrations into Si(0 0 1). Based on investigations with Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and corresponding channelling measurements (RBS/c), we report on a temperature dependent redistribution of the implanted species during the rapid thermal annealing process governed by the radiation-induced defects. Additionally performed cross-sectional TEM analyses, including EDX measurements, clearly show the presence of hexagonal shaped elementary Sb precipitates as well as compound clusters consisting of Mn and Sb, which are aligned to the crystal structure of the host silicon. In electron magnetic resonance measurements many samples exhibit broad resonance bands persisting up to approximately 60 K. For out-of-plane rotations, the bands show a weak angular dependence of the resonance field but a strong angular dependence of the intensity. Zero-field-cooled and field-cooled magnetization curves were measured on selected samples with a SQUID magnetometer between 10 and 400 K at different applied fields. The curves show a weak magnetic signal generated by different magnetic phases while at least one can be ascribed to superparamagnetic nanoparticles of MnSb.