Hot electron studies of lattice damage created in silicon by implantation of 2.8 MeV protons

Abstract

In this paper we report the results of a study of the annealing properties of the ionized defect density associated with the damage created in the silicon lattice by implantation of 2.8 MeV protons at room temperature. In particular, the annealing of damage created by implanting to a level of 4.43 × 10¹² protons/cm² is reported. The resulting isochronal annealing curve covered the temperature range from 70°C to 460°C. Two major annealing stages are discussed, one a broad stage between 70°C to 200°C and the other an abrupt annealing stage between 440°C to 460°C. Between the temperature range 200°C to 440°C the number of ionized defects remained relatively constant. Above 460°C no detectable effects of the proton implantation remained.     

Effect of the postimplantation-annealing temperature on the properties of silicon light-emitting diodes fabricated through boron ion implantation into <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-Si

The effect of the temperature of postimplantation annealing on the electroluminescence and the electrophysical and structural properties of light-emitting diodes fabricated by the implantation of boron ions into n-Si with a resistivity of 0.5 and 500 Ω cm is studied. All spectra contain strong electroluminescence (EL) peaks associated with band-to-band radiative transitions. An increase in the annealing temperature from 700 to 1100°C is accompanied by a monotonic increase in the quantum efficiency for the dominating EL peak and in the effective minority-carrier lifetime in the base of the light-emitting diodes and by the transformation of extended structural defects. Analysis of the experimental data shows that the extended structural defects formed are most likely to affect the EL properties via the formation or gettering of the radiative or nonradiative recombination centers rather than via preventing the removal of charge carriers to nonradiative recombination centers. The maximum internal quantum efficiency is reached after annealing at 1100°C (where extended structural defects are absent) and is estimated to be 0.4% at 300 K.     

ion-implanted junctions and conducting layers in SiC

n-type conducting layers have been formed in n- and p-type hexagonal SiC and n-type cubic SiC by implanting ions from column V of the periodic table; N, P, Sb, or Bi. The implantations were made at room temperature and with energies ranging from 5 to 300 keV. The implanted layers have been evaluated by van der Pauw-Hall effect and sheet resistivity measurements and by scanning electron microscopy for anneal temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1800°C. Type conversion of the implanted layers to n-type has been observed after a 750°C anneal. Considerable lattice reordering is suggested from the observed carrier mobility values after annealing at 1600°C.

We have attempted to form p-type layers in n-type SiC by implanting Re, B, Al, Ga, and Tl. Application of anneal procedures identical to those used to form n-type layers have not resulted in measurable p-type layers.

The p-n junctions formed by the donor-implanted layers have been evaluated as a function of anneal temperature. After annealing at 1200°C there is direct evidence of a thick semi-insulating region between the n-layer and the substrate which produces a p-i-n diode characteristic. The thickness of this i-layer can be substantially reduced with additional annealing, resulting in abrupt junction behavior for the diode.

Well-annealed p-n junctions have been characterized as a function of operating temperature over the range of 23 to 400°C. The forward current-voltage behavior of these diodes is dominated by generation and recombination of the carriers in the depletion layer over most of the temperature range. There is some indication of diffusion currents at the highest temperatures. Avalanche breakdown behavior is observed for reverse bias.

The capacitance-voltage behavior of these diodes as a function of frequency and temperature indicate the presence of a deep level which can be explained in terms of the bulk properties of the material.     

Low temperature photoconductivity in electron - irradiated p-type Si

The photoconductivity spectra of p-type silicon irradiated at ～15 °K with 1.2 MeV electrons were studied in the wavelength range from 1.2 to 5.5 μ at temperatures from 23 to 80 °K. The 3.9 μ photoconductivity band appears immediately after irradiation in all crystals already at low temperatures, giving further evidence that it is due to the divacancy formed directly during irradiation by electrons. Three main annealing stages of the photoconductivity have been observed; (a) below 160 °K, (b) 160–250 °K, and (c) 280–360 °K. A radiation-induced deep level at E_v , +(0.12±0.02 eV disappears upon annealing at stage b. The annealing behavior of the spectra depends strongly on the measuring temperature. The dependence of the spectra on chopper speed was also investigated.     

Electrical and structural properties of the swift heavy ion irradiated Au/n-GaAs schottky barrier diodes

Abstract

Au/n-GaAs Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs) have been fabricated on LEC grown silicon doped (100) GaAs single crystals. The SBDs were irradiated using high energy (120 MeV) silicon ion with fluences of 1 × 10 ¹¹ and 1 × 10¹² ions/cm². Current-Voltage (I-V) characteristics of unirradiated and irradiated diodes were analyzed. The change in the reverse leakage current increases with increasing ion fluence. This is due to the irradiation induced defects at the interface and its increase with the fluence. The diodes were annealed at 573 and 673 K. to study the effect of annealing. The rectifying behavior of the irradiated (fluence of 1 × 10¹² ions/cm¹²) SBDs improves upon as the annealing temperature increases and is attributed to the in situ self-annealing during irradiation. Scanning Electron Microscopic analysis was carried out on the irradiated samples to delineate the projected range and to observe defects.     

Effect of annealing temperature on the characteristics of ZnO thin films

Effect of annealing temperature on characteristics of sol–gel driven ZnO thin film spin-coated on Si substrate was studied. The UV–visible transmittance of the sol decreased with the increase of the aging time and drastically reduced after 20 days aging time. Granular shape of ZnO crystallites was observed on the surface of the films annealed at 550, 650, and 750 °C, and the crystallite size increased with the increase of the annealing temperature. Consequently nodular shape of crystallites was formed upon increasing the annealing temperature to 850 °C and above. The current–voltage characteristics of the Schottky diodes fabricated with ZnO thin films with various annealing temperatures were measured and analyzed. It is found that, ZnO films showed the Schottky characteristics up to 750 °C annealing temperature. The Schottky diode characteristics were diminished upon increasing the annealing temperature above 850 °C. XPS analysis suggested that the absence of oxygen atoms in its oxidized state in stoichiometric surrounding, might be responsible for the diminished forward current of the Schottky diode when annealed above 850 °C.     

Annealing behaviour of arsenic implants in silicon

Abstract

The annealing behaviour of 80 keV room temperature arsenic implants in silicon below the amorphization dose has been studied by comparing the physical profile and the electrical profiles following different isochronal anneals.

It is shown that the electrically active fraction, which is about 0.4 after 30 min annealing at 600°C, increases continuously until 100% electrical activation of the arsenic ions is reached at about 900°C.

The activation energy for the annealing process has been found equal to 0.4 eV. A tentative interpretation of the mechanism involved is given.

From the analysis of the physical profiles obtained after isochronal annealing, an effective diffusion coefficient at 900°C equal to 5 × 10^?16 cm² s^?1 has been calculated.     

Positron annihilation in electron-irradiated n-type gap crystals

Abstract

The defects in n-GaP crystals irradiated by 2.3 MeV electrons up to 1 × 10¹⁹ cm^?2 at RT were studied by means of positron annihilation (angular correlation) and electrical property measurements. It was found that positrons are trapped in some radiation-induced vacancy-type defects (acceptors) but that the effect saturates at high electron fluences (D1 × 10¹⁸ cm^?2). The trapping rate in irradiated samples increases with temperature in the range 77–300 K. Post-irradiation isochronal annealing reveals the positron traps clustering at about 200–280°C. All positron sensitive radiation-induced defects disappear upon annealing up to 500°C.     

Effect of current on the electroluminescence of defects produced by high-temperature post-implantation annealing of Si: (Er,O) structures in a chlorine-containing environment

The forward-current dependence of defect-related electroluminescence (EL) in silicon structures produced by erbium and oxygen implantation into silicon single crystals with subsequent annealing in a chlorine-containing ambient at 1100°C has been studied. At 80 K, an increase in the current was observed to cause the photon energies corresponding to the maxima of two defect-related EL peaks to increase from 0.807 and 0.87 eV to 0.85 and 0.92 eV, respectively. The increase in the current was also accompanied by an increase in the half-width and intensity of the EL peaks. To explain the observed effects, a model that was proposed earlier for the defect-related EL in plastically deformed silicon is developed further; this model assumes the possible generation of inverse population involving four energy levels.     

Investigation of silicon doped by zinc ions with a large dose

The formation of nanoparticles in СZn-Si(100) implanted with ⁶⁴Zn⁺ ions using a dose of 5 × 10¹⁶ cm^–2 and an energy of 50 keV at room temperature with subsequent thermal processing in oxygen at temperatures ranging from 400 to 900°C is studied. The surface topology is investigated with scanning electron (in the secondary emission mode) and atomic force microscopes. The structure and composition of the near-surface silicon layer are examined using a high-resolution transmission electronic microscope fitted with a device for energy dispersive microanalysis. An amorphized near-surface Si layer up to 130 nm thick forms when zinc is implanted. Amorphous zinc nanoparticles with an average size of 4 nm are observed in this layer. A damaged silicon layer 50 nm thick also forms due to radiation defects. The metallic zinc phase is found in the sample after low-temperature annealing in the range of 400–600°C. When the annealing temperature is raised to 700°C, zinc oxide ZnO phase can form in the near-surface layer. The complex ZnO · Zn₂SiO₄ phase presumably emerges at temperatures of 800°C or higher, and zinc-containing nanoparticles with lateral sizes of 20–50 nm form on the sample’s surface.     

Electrical properties of Cd,Zn and S ion-implanted layers in GaAs

The electrical properties of cadmium, zinc, and sulfur ion-implanted layers in gallium arsenide have been measured by the van der Pauw-Hall technique. Ion implantation was performed with the substrates held at room temperature. The dependence of sheet resistivity, surface carrier concentration, and mobility on ion dose and on post-implantation anneal temperature was determined. In the case of 60 keV Cd⁺ ions implanted into n-type substrates, a measurable p-type layer resulted when samples were annealed for 10 minutes at a temperature in the range 600—900°C. After annealing at 300—900°C for 10 minutes, 100 per cent electrical activity of the Cd ions resulted for ion doses ≤ 10¹⁴/cm².

The properties of p-type layers produced by implantation of 85 keV Zn⁺ ions were similar to those of the 60 keV cadmium-implanted layers, in that no measurable p-type behavior was observed in samples annealed below a relatively high temperature. However, in samples implanted with 20 keV Zn⁺ ions a p-type layer was observed after annealing for 10 minutes at temperatures as low as 300°C.

Implantation of sulfur ions into p-type GaAs substrates at room temperature resulted in the formation of a high resistivity n-type layer, evcn before any annealing was performed. Annealing at temperatures up to 200°C or above 600°C lowered the resistivity of the layer, while annealing in the range 300—500°C eliminated the n-type layer.     

Thermal activation and deactivation of grown‐in defects limiting the lifetime of float‐zone silicon

By studying the minority carrier lifetime in recently manufactured commercially available n‐ and p‐type float‐zone (FZ) silicon from five leading suppliers, we observe a very large reduction in the bulk lifetime when FZ silicon is heat‐treated in the range 450–700 °C. Photoluminescence imaging of these samples at the wafer scale revealed concentric circular patterns, with higher recombination occurring in the centre, and far less around the periphery. Deep level transient spectroscopy measurements indicate the presence of recombination active defects, including a dominant center with an energy level at ～E_v + 0.5 eV. Upon annealing FZ silicon at temperatures >1000 °C in oxygen, the lifetime is completely recovered, whereby the defects vanish and do not reappear upon subsequent annealing at 500 °C. We conclude that the heat‐treatments at >1000 °C result in total annihilation of the recombination active defects. Without such high temperature treatments, the minority carrier lifetime in FZ silicon is unstable and will affect the development of high efficiency (>24%) solar cells and surface passivation studies.     

Investigation of the structural and electrical properties of air-annealed ruthenium thin films on 6H–SiC at different temperatures

Ruthenium (Ru) Schottky contacts and thin films on n-type 6H–SiC were fabricated and characterised by physical and electrical methods. The characterisation was done after annealing the samples in air at various temperatures. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) analysis of the thin films indicated the oxidation of Ru after annealing at a temperature of 400 °C, and interdiffusion of Ru and Si at the Ru–6H–SiC interface at 500 °C. XRD analysis of the thin films indicated the formation of RuO₂ and RuSi in Ru–6H–SiC after annealing at a temperature of 600 °C. The formation of the oxide was also corroborated by Raman spectroscopy. The ideality factor of the Schottky barrier diodes (SBD) was seen to generally decrease with annealing temperature. The series resistance increased astronomically after annealing at 700 °C, which was an indication that the SBD had broken down. The failure mechanism of the SBD is attributed to deep inter-diffusions of Ru and Si at the Ru–6H–SiC interface as evidenced by the RBS of the thin films.     

Defects with deep levels induced by plastic deformation and electron irradiation in El2-free GaAs

Abstract

Defects with deep electronic energy levels induced by electron irradiation at room temperature or plastic deformation at 450°C in GaAs in which grown-in EL2 defects are previously eliminated by heat-treatment are investigated by means of measurements of the optical absorption and the Hall effect. Thermal stabilities of the induced defects are studied by tracing the changes mainly in the absorption specturm due to isochronal annealing. The absorptions both in deformed and irradiated specimens are mostly photo-unquenchable. Therefore, the defects induced by above two procedures are identified not to be EL2. Semi-insulating or n-type specimens convert to p-type by plastic deformation or electron irradiation, showing that high densities of acceptors are generated by the above two procedures.     

Dimpling—A new manifestation of ion-produced lattice damage

Abstract

Bombardment of thin (1–10 μ) single crystal targets with energetic ion beams has been found to result in macroscopic distortion of the thin film in the bombarded region. This effect, which has been euphemistically termed a ‘dimple’, is readily observed with the naked eye even at relatively low particle fluence. A useful first-order model has been developed which interprets the dimpling as an expansion of the bombarded region. For very thin samples, this expansion can be accommodated by bowing of the crystal out of the original crystal plane. For this simple model, the fractional expansion is proportional to (δ/d)² where δ is the maximum displacement from the original crystal plane and d is the diameter of the bombarded area. This measurement allows expansioh to be determined with a sensitivity comparable to or better than the most sensitive existing methods.

For silicon about 3 μ thick bombarded by 1.8 MeV He ions, the expansion increases essentially linearly with fluence at the lowest fluence (below about 10¹⁵ to 10¹⁴ cm^?2). In this region about 0.001 atomic volumes are added per incident ion. As the fluence is increased, the apparent expansion begins to increase more rapidly than linearly but approaches a saturation value at the highest fluence (about 10¹⁸ cm^?2). The effect of particle flux, incident energy, and bombardment temperature is discussed as well as some preliminary results on C ion produced dimples in Si and the behavior of Ge samples.

Thirty-minute isochronal annealing of silicon samples irradiated with He ions at room temperature shows reverse annealing for temperatures up to about 200–300°C. The dimple begins to anneal at 300°C and disappears after annealing to 600–700°C.

After irradiation, the dimpled region absorbs light more strongly in the visible and near IR region. This disappears with annealing before the dimple itself completely disappears and is felt to be largely due to scattering from defect clusters.     

Radiation hardening in Zircaloy-2

Annealed Zircaloy-2 was exposed to fast neutron fluences in the range 0.46 to 6.71 × 10¹⁹ nvt, E > 1 MeV, at temperatures of up to 450°C. The level of radiation hardening, as measured by the change in yield stress after irradiation, increased with irradiation temperature at least up to 380°C.

Post-irradiation annealing treatments showed that radiation anneal hardening occurred after irradiation at temperatures up to 325°C. After irradiation at 375°C, annealing treatments did not produce a further increase in the yield stress above that produced by the irradiation, however the radiation hardening persisted to 450°C. The uniform strain tended to decrease as the amount of radiation anneal hardening increased and as the fast neutron fluence increased above ～5 × 10¹⁸ nvt, E > 1 MeV.

The effects of irradiation temperature and post-irradiation annealing on the yield stress and on uniform strain are explained in terms of the strengthening of radiation damage defect clusters and their increased effectiveness to impede dislocation movement.     

Evolution of the spectral characteristics upon annealing of lithium borate glasses containing europium and aluminum

The spectral and structural characteristics of lithium borate glasses containing europium and aluminum have been investigated upon annealing at different temperatures. It has been found that the spectral characteristics of the studied system change nonmonotonically with an increase in the annealing temperature. After annealing at a temperature of 600°C, the luminescence spectra of the glasses exhibit broad structureless bands that are specific for the amorphous phase containing Eu³⁺ ions. Then, after annealing at T = 700°C, narrow lines appear in the wavelength ranges 585–595 and 610–620 nm, which correspond to the luminescence of the Eu(BO₂)₃ and EuAl₃(BO₃)₄ borates. A further increase in the annealing temperature (T = 800–900°C) leads to the disappearance of europium aluminum borate. In the luminescence spectra of these samples, there are narrow bands in the wavelength range λ = 585–595 nm, which are typical of europium metaborate. Finally, at a temperature of 1050°C, these bands disappear and narrow lines appear again in the wavelength range 610–620 nm, which are characteristic of the EuAl₃(BO₃)₄ borate. Thus, the temperature annealing makes it possible to purposely change the spectral characteristics of the studied system in the wavelength range 590–615 nm.     

Structural and phase transformations in C/Si multilayers during annealing

The structural evolution of a C/Si periodical multilayers is studied by small-angle X-ray diffraction and cross-section transmission electron microscopy. Mixed zones 0.6–0.65 nm thick with different densities are detected at the C/Si and Si/C interfaces in the initial state. The effect of annealing on the thickness, the density, and the phase composition of the layers and the mixed zones is investigated in the temperature range 300–1050°C. Two stages of changing the multilayer composition period upon heating are found. The period increases as the temperature increases up to 700°C and then decreases. The fracture of the composition begins in the silicon layers, where pores and cubic 3C-SiC nanocrystals form at 900°C. The fracture of the layered structure of the composition is completed at T > 1000°C.     

Obituary

Abstract

The gamma irradiation damage in silicon has been extensively studied by many investigators.^(1–6) However, little has been reported about the effects of radiation on the current-voltage (I–V) characteristics of silicon, particularly of high-resistivity silicon at radiation temperatures other than the room temperature. This paper is a report of some new results on the I–V characteristics of low and high resistivity silicon before and after gamma irradiation at the temperature of 38 °C and ?196 °C.     

The measurement of cone length and range in etched plastics

Abstract

Group V impurities implanted at 400 keV into silicon have been detected in substitutional lattice positions by EPR. Three samples of VFZ, p-type 1200–1500 ohm-cm silicon from the same ingot were implanted with As⁷⁵, Sb¹²¹, and Sb¹²³, respectively. The EPR spectrum of each implanted substitutional impurity was observed after annealing the lattice damage. Only the isotope implanted in each sample was seen. Since only those donors which are electrically active can be observed, this technique measures the electrically active fraction of the implanted species. Upon annealing to 970°C, most of the antimony was active whereas only about 1/5 of the arsenic was observed. Comparisons with backscattering results indicate that between 350 and 600°C, ～95 per cent of the implanted antimony is substitutional but ～0 per cent is electrically active. The increase in electrical activity at 600°C is due to the rise of the Fermi level to the donor level as the residual lattice damage anneals. The paramagnetic damage centers observed were those also seen in oxygen-implanted silicon, Si-P3 and Si-Pl, but the Si-P3 center was not as well resolved and grows upon annealing to 200°C.