E. Bruno

Dissolution kinetics of boron-interstitial clusters in silicon

In this work, we have investigated the stoichiometry of boron-interstitial clusters (BICs) produced in a molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown B box by Si implantation and annealing, and their dissolution during further prolonged annealing cycles. Low-concentration B delta doping was used to quantitatively monitor the interstitial (I) flux. A stoichiometric ratio of about 1.2 between I and B was found for the BICs formed at 815 °C. The BIC dissolution kinetics was investigated by analyzing the concentration profiles at different times and temperatures (in the range 815–950 °C) with a simulation code able to deconvolve the processes of B diffusion and B release from clusters. We found that the main mechanism for cluster dissolution is the release of interstitial boron atoms, with a thermal activation energy of 3.2±0.4 eV. These data are discussed and compared with existing literature data.

Evolution of boron-interstitial clusters in crystalline Si studied by transmission electron microscopy

The thermal evolution of large boron-interstitials clusters (BICs) in crystalline Si has been studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After ion implantation (20keV and 1×1014Si∕cm2) and annealing (815°C and 5min), large clusters (6–8nm) have been observed in correspondence of a narrow, highly doped Si:B layer (2×1020B∕cm3). Under prolonged annealing, such clusters dissolve, progressively shrinking their mean size below the TEM detection limit. The time evolution of such a BIC shrinking is fully compatible with the slow path dissolution kinetics recently published. These data suggest the identification of the slow dissolving BICs with the large observed clusters.

Fluorine segregation and incorporation during solid-phase epitaxy of Si

We report on the F incorporation into Si during solid-phase epitaxy (SPE) at 580°C and with the presence of B and∕or As, clarifying the F incorporation mechanism into Si. A strong segregation of F at the moving amorphous–crystalline interface has been characterized, leading to a SPE rate retardation and to a significant loss of F atoms through the surface. In B- or As-doped samples, an enhanced, local F incorporation is observed, whereas in the case of B and As co-implantation (leading to compensating dopant effect), a much lower F incorporation is achieved at the dopant peak. The F enhanced incorporation with the presence of B or As is shown to be a kinetic effect related to the SPE rate modification by doping, whereas the hypothesis of a F–B or F–As chemical bonding is refused. These results shed new light on the application of F in the fabrication of ultrashallow junctions in future generation devices.

Transient enhanced diffusion of B mediated by self-interstitials in preamorphized Ge

The dissolution of interstitial-type end-of-range (EOR) damage in preamorphized Ge is shown to induce a transient enhanced diffusion of an epitaxially grown boron delta at temperatures above 350 °C that saturates above 420 °C. The B diffusion events are quantitatively correlated with the measured positive strain associated with the EOR damage as a function of the annealing temperature with an energy barrier for the EOR damage dissolution of 2.1±0.3 eV. These results unambiguously demonstrate that B diffuses in Ge through a mechanism assisted by self-interstitials, and impose considering the interstitial implantation damage for the modeling of impurity diffusion in Ge.

Experimental evidences for two paths in the dissolution process of B clusters in crystalline Si

We show that B clusters, produced by self-interstitial interaction with substitutional B in crystalline Si, dissolve under annealing according to two distinct paths with very different characteristic times. The two regimes generally coexist, but while the faster dissolution path is predominant for clusters formed at low B concentration (1×1019B∕cm3), the slower one is characteristic of clusters formed above the solubility limit and dominates the dissolution process at high B concentration (2×1020B∕cm3). The activation energies of both processes are characterized and discussed. It is showed that the faster path can be connected to mobile B direct emission from small clusters, while the slower path is demonstrated not to be self-interstitial limited and it is probably related to a more complex cluster dissolution process.

Role of surface nanovoids on interstitial trapping in He implanted crystalline Si

The effect of interstitial trapping by surface nanovoids, induced by He ion implantation in crystalline Si, is described. The difference with respect to the effects induced by the deep void layer is evidenced and discussed. Interstitial trapping is investigated by studying the diffusion and the electrical activation of shallow boron implanted in Si. B and He ion implantations were performed on Czochralski bulk and silicon-on-insulator samples in order to isolate the void surface region from the deep void layer. A remarkable reduction of B diffusion is recorded near half the projected range (Rp) of He implantation, which leads to a boxlike shape in the distribution of mobile and electrically active B. Surface nanovoids (2–3nm in size) cause the observed B diffusivity reduction through an enhanced recombination of self-interstitials. Moreover, these surface nanovoids do not hinder the B electrical activation, being the electrically active B dose comparable for the He implanted and the He-free samples. This ...

He induced nanovoids for point-defect engineering in B-implanted crystalline Si

In this paper we present a systematic study on the formation of He ion implantation induced nanovoids in Si and how they influence the self-interstitial (Is) supersaturation, thus affecting the diffusion and electrical activation of implanted boron in crystalline silicon. We implanted He ions into (100)-oriented Si wafers, with doses ranging from 5×1015to8×1016Heions∕cm2 and energies ranging from 25to110keV. Then, we implanted B ions (12keV, 5×1014ions∕cm2). All samples were annealed at 800°C in N2 atmosphere. We demonstrated the role of nanovoids in reducing B diffusion already at the first stages of postimplantation annealing. The effect has been attributed to the Is trapping by the nanovoids that forces B to assume a boxlike profile. Moreover, we studied the nanovoid distribution as a function of He-implanted dose and energy, demonstrating, by means of Cu gettering experiments, the beneficial effect of increasing dose or decreasing energy of He implantation on the B diffusion and electrical activation....

Lattice strain induced by boron clusters in crystalline silicon

We studied the strain induced in a silicon lattice by the presence of boron clusters formed by the interaction of high concentration (2 × 1020 at cm−3) substitutional B with Si interstitials produced by ion implantation. We found that the clustered immobile B induces a significant amount of strain in the host lattice. By analysing the dissolution behaviour of boron clusters after prolonged annealing, we found that the strain linearly decreases as the amount of clustered B decreases, evidencing a constant lattice expansion ΔV per clustered B atom of (3.7 ± 0.6) A3, independently of the annealing temperature and time. By performing model potential calculations of ΔV on selected boron clusters, we concluded that these clusters can be structurally more complex than those commonly assumed or hypothesized so far.

Localization of He induced nanovoids in buried Si1-xGex thin films

The localization of voids in thin Si1−xGex layers after He+ implantation and thermal annealing is reported. A Si/Si1−xGex multilayer grown onto (001) Si was implanted with He+ in the 10−30 keV range, with fluences from 7×1015 up to 1×1016 cm−2, and annealed at 800 °C for 1 h. Samples were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, showing void formation only within the two layers containing Ge or at the film/substrate interface. Our results support the idea that the compressive strain in the Si1−xGex layers induces the nucleation of small cavities and the growth of voids by a mechanism where vacancies are stabilized by He.

B activation enhancement in submicron confined implants in Si

We implanted 3keV B ions into a crystalline Si film, grown by molecular-beam epitaxy and masked by SiO2 stripes with opening widths ranging from 3.2μm down to 0.38μm. Thermal anneals were performed at 800°C for several times. By quantitative high-resolution scanning capacitance microscopy, we demonstrated that the electrical reactivation of inactive B after postimplant annealing is obtained at faster rates as the window width decreases. Total electrical activation is gained first in the narrowest window, with times shorter by nearly a factor of 4 compared to the widest one. In addition, since inactive B seems to be caused by B clustering induced by implantation, our results put in evidence a strong effect of implantation confinement also on B clusters dissolution mechanism. These results have a strong impact on the modern silicon-based device engineering.