Damage Accumulation and Annealing in Ion Irradiated Silicon

Abstract

AbstractThe evolution of pre-existing damage structures in Si under high energy ion irradiation is discussed. Different initial morphologies are investigated: a sample partially pre-damaged with heavy ions and a sample partially pre-damaged with light ions are compared within them and with an undamaged single crystal. It is shown that ion irradiation can produce either damage accumulation, in the form of amorphous regions, or damage annealing depending on the pre-existing damage morphology, on the substrate temperature, and on the doping content in the irradiated layer. These data are discussed and interpreted on the basis of the existing models on ion induced amorphization and crystallization.