Influence of in situ applied ultrasound during Si{sup +} implantation in SiO{sub 2} on paramagnetic defect generation

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3369041· OSTI ID:21476297

Jivanescu, M; Stesmans, A ^[1]; Romanyuk, A ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium and Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry (INPAC), University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 D, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium)
2. Institute of Physics, University of Basel, Klingerbergstrasse 82, 4056 Basel (Switzerland)

Electron spin resonance (ESR) results are presented on the influence of in situ ultrasound treatment (UST) during implantation at 300 K of Si{sup +} ions into thermal SiO{sub 2} on (100)Si before and after subsequent high-temperature (T) annealing (1100 deg. C) intended to promote the formation of embedded Si nanoparticles. The as-implanted state exhibits high densities of three prominent types of point defects, including the SiO{sub 2}-specific S and E{sup '}{sub {gamma}} O-vacancy type centers, and an unknown broad ({approx_equal}20 G) signal at g{approx_equal}2.0026 denoted IS. The high-intensity S signal shows demagnetization shape effects, pointing to a distribution of high local density of defects over a thin layer. UST is observed to effectuate a drastic reduction in S and E{sup '}{sub {gamma}} centers, and elimination of IS beyond detection. This reveals a strong healing influence of in situ transferred ultrasound (US) energy on implantation-induced damage, here quantified and identified on atomic level in terms of mainly intrinsic paramagnetic point defects elimination, viz., Frenkel pair elimination, while all three initial signals disappear. Other types of defects surface after annealing of the non-US treated sample, including the SiO{sub 2}-specific EX defect signal and P{sub b}-type Si/SiO{sub 2} interface centers, the appearance of the latter providing direct ESR evidence for crystallization of the excess Si nanoparticles. The influence of the UST healing effect is kept up after subsequent annealing, now resulting in the absence of virtually all ESR-active centers. The drop in P{sub b}-type centers below the detection level in the UST annealed sample indicates improvement of the nanocrystalline-Si/SiO{sub 2} interface quality. The combination of UST with high-T annealing emerges as a highly efficient means to eradicate ion implantation damage in terms of intrinsic point defects.

• OSTI ID: 21476297
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 107, Issue 11; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3369041; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANNEALING
CRYSTALLIZATION
CRYSTALS
DEMAGNETIZATION
ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE
FRENKEL DEFECTS
INTERFACES
ION IMPLANTATION
NANOSTRUCTURES
PARAMAGNETISM
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON
SILICON IONS
SILICON OXIDES
SURFACES
THIN FILMS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELEMENTS
FILMS
HEAT TREATMENTS
IONS
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
MAGNETISM
MATERIALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POINT DEFECTS
RESONANCE
SEMIMETALS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
VACANCIES