Discharge-Pumped VUV F2 Molecular Laser Annealing of Heavily Se+-Implanted GaAs

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe capability of discharge-pumped vacuum ultraviolet F2 molecular laser for laser annealing of heavily ion implanted semiconductor was demonstrated for the first time using Se+ heavily ion implanted GaAs. Cr-doped semi-insulationg GaAs wafers were used as the substrates, and the Se+ implantation energy and dose were controlled to 100 keV and 1× 1015 cm-2, respectively. Samples were annealed using a F2 molecular laser ( wavelength = 157 nm ) with a single pulse ( width ~ 20 ns ) in the energy density range from 200 to 800 mJ/cm2 in a nitrogen atmosphere. In addition, furnace annealing was done on separate samples at 850 ºC for 20 minutes in a purified hydrogen atmosphere for comparison. Characterization of the samples was carried out using Raman scattering and ellipsometry. The laser annealed samples exhibited intense Raman scattering LO phonon peaks whose intensity increased with increasing laser power density, whereas the furnace annealed samples exhibited a very weak LO phonon peak. It was demonstrated for the first time that VUV photons can be very effective in annealing ion implantation damage as compared with conventional furnace annealing. The behavior of Raman scattering spectra as a function of laser energy density was explained quantitatively by a “spatial correlation” model. The model made it possible to estimate the average size of the recovered crystal regions in samples for any given laser energy density.