Precipitation studies in oxygen- and nitrogen-rich silicon formed by high dose implantation

Abstract

Using ion beam synthesis and high temperature annealing, substoichiometric buried layers rich in oxygen or nitrogen were produced and investigated by XTEM. With increasing annealing temperature in the range 1000–1250°C, precipitates of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride are formed. Their mean size and distribution within the buried damage layer depends on the annealing temperature. At 1100°C, precipitates of comparable size homogeneously distributed throughout the buried layer were formed. The impact of this finding on thermodynamical modelling of buried layer systems after high dose implantation and annealing is discussed. A technique using SEM of bevelled silicon samples after preferential etching to perform precipitation studies is reported.