Defect- and Strain-enhanced Cavity Formation and Au Precipitation at nano-crystalline ZrO2/SiO2/Si Interfaces

Journal Article · Sat Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section B, Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 269(2):126-132

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2010.10.014· OSTI ID:1009715

Edmondson, Philip D; Zhang, Yanwen; Namavar, Fereydoon; Wang, Chong M; Zhu, Zihua; Weber, William J

Defect- and strain-enhanced cavity formation and Au precipitation at the interfaces of a nanocrystalline ZrO2/SiO2/Si multilayer structure resulting from 2 MeV Au+ irradiation at temperatures of 160 and 400 K have been studied. Under irradiation, loss of oxygen is observed, and the nanocrystalline grains in the ZrO2 layer increase in size. In addition, small cavities are observed at the ZrO2/SiO2 interface with the morphology of the cavities being dependent on the damage state of the underlying Si lattice. Elongated cavities are formed when crystallinity is still retained in the heavily-damaged Si substrate; however, the morphology of the cavities becomes spherical when the substrate is amorphized. With further irradiation, the cavities appear to become stabilized and begin to act as gettering sites for the Au. As the cavities become fully saturated with Au, the ZrO2/SiO2 interface then acts as a gettering site for the Au. Analysis of the results suggests that oxygen diffusion along the grain boundaries contributes to the growth of cavities and that oxygen within the cavities may affect the gettering of Au. Mechanisms of defect- and strain-enhanced cavity formation and Au precipitation at the interfaces will be discussed with focus on oxygen diffusion and vacancy accumulation, the role of the lattice strain on the morphology of the cavities, and the effect of the binding free energy of the cavities on the Au precipitation.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1009715
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-75918; 34899; KP1704020; TRN: US1101723
• Journal Information: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section B, Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 269(2):126-132, Vol. 269, Issue 2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
CAVITIES
SYNTHESIS
OXYGEN
DIFFUSION
GETTERING
IRRADIATION
MORPHOLOGY
PRECIPITATION
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES
SILICON OXIDES
SILICON
INTERFACES
GOLD
NANOSTRUCTURES
GRAIN SIZE
Defect
Strain
enhanced
Cavity
Formation
Au
Precipitation
crystalline
ZrO2
SiO2
Si
Interfaces
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory