Correlation between surface damage and micro-defects in Si covered with insulating layer by implantation of He and H ions

• Published in: Thin solid films 2011-03, Vol.519 (10), p.3162-3168
• Main Authors: Liu, C.L., Li, M.K., Wang, Z., Gao, Y.J., Liao, J.Q., Zhang, D.C., Zhang, X.L., Shen, Y.Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Annealing; Blistering; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Covering; Damage; Defect microstructures; Defects and impurities in crystals; microstructure; Doping and impurity implantation in other materials; Exact sciences and technology; Helium and hydrogen ion implantation; Implantation; Localized exfoliation; Morphology; Physics; Silicon; Silicon dioxide; Silicon nitride; SiO 2/Si and Si 3N 4/Si; Structure and morphology; thickness; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Surface blistering; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Transmission electron microscopy
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2011.01.101

Cz n-type Si (100) wafers covered with a 220 nm SiO 2 layer or a 170 nm Si 3N 4 layer were singly implanted with 160 keV He ions at a dose of 5 × 10 16/cm 2 or successively implanted with 160 keV He ions at a dose of 5 × 10 16/cm 2 and 110 keV H ions at a dose of 1 × 10 16/cm 2. Surface morphologies together with defect microstructures have been studied by means of several techniques, including optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). Only surface blistering has been observed for He and H sequentially implanted SiO 2/Si samples after annealing in temperature range up to 1000 °C. However, as for the He and H implanted Si 3N 4/Si samples, surface features including blistering and the localized exfoliation of both the top Si 3N 4 layer and the implanted Si layer have been well demonstrated during subsequent annealing. XTEM observations reveal quite different defect morphologies in two kinds of materials under the same implantation and annealing conditions. The possible mechanisms of surface damage in two kinds of materials have been discussed and presented based on the XTEM results.