Controlled drive-in and precipitation of hydrogen during plasma hydrogenation of silicon using a thin compressively strained SiGe layer

Journal Article · Mon Jul 19 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3467455· OSTI ID:21367016

Okba, F ^[1]; Cherkashin, N; Claverie, A ^[1]; Di, Z; Nastasi, M ^[2]; Rossi, F ^[3]; Merabet, A ^[4]

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1. CEMES/CNRS and University of Toulouse, Groupe nMat, 29 rue J. Marvig, 31055 Toulouse (France)
2. Materials Physics and Applications Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
3. Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Ispra(Vatican City State, Holy See) 21020 (Italy)
4. Departement Optique et Mecanique de Precision, Faculte des Sciences de l'Ingenieur, Universite Ferhat Abbas, Setif 19000 (Algeria)

We have quantitatively studied by transmission electron microscopy the growth kinetics of platelets formed during the continuous hydrogenation of a Si substrate/SiGe/Si heterostructure. We have evidenced and explained the massive transfer of hydrogen from a population of platelets initially generated in the upper Si layer by plasma hydrogenation towards a population of larger platelets located in the SiGe layer. We demonstrate that this type of process can be used not only to precisely localize the micro-cracks, then the fracture line at a given depth but also to 'clean' the top layer from pre-existing defects.

• OSTI ID: 21367016
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 97, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3467455; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CRACKS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
FRACTURES
GERMANIUM ALLOYS
GERMANIUM SILICIDES
HYDROGENATION
LAYERS
PRECIPITATION
SILICON
SILICON ALLOYS
SUBSTRATES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ALLOYS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
FAILURES
GERMANIUM COMPOUNDS
MICROSCOPY
SEMIMETALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SILICIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS