Recrystallization model of discrete amorphous regions in C3H5-molecular-ion-implanted silicon substrate surface analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract

We investigated the recrystallization of discrete amorphous regions formed in a C3H5-molecular-ion-implanted silicon (Si) substrate surface in the rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The change in the crystalline fraction of the C3H5-molecular-ion-implanted substrate surface after the RTA was obtained from the chemical shifts of Si 2p spectra by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We found that the crystalline fraction increases depending on the RTA temperature after an incubation period. The transformation from the amorphous phase to the crystalline phase was analyzed on the basis of the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov theory. It was revealed that recrystallization of discrete amorphous regions proceeded three-dimensionally and activation energy was estimated to be 2.74 ± 0.39 eV, which is approximately equal to 2.70 eV for the solid-phase epitaxy of the continuous amorphous layer in a Si crystal. Therefore, we believe that discrete amorphous regions are recrystallized via solid-phase epitaxy laterally and vertically from the amorphous/crystal interface around them.