Formation of Si-nanocrystals in SiO2 via ion implantation and rapid thermal processing

Iain F. Crowe; Oksana Hulko; Andrew P. Knights; Nicholas P. Hylton; Matthew P. Halsall; Simon Ruffell; Russell M. Gwilliam

doi:10.1117/12.852924

16 February 2010 Formation of Si-nanocrystals in SiO₂ via ion implantation and rapid thermal processing

Iain F. Crowe, Oksana Hulko, Andrew P. Knights, Nicholas P. Hylton, Matthew P. Halsall, Simon Ruffell, Russell M. Gwilliam

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7606, Silicon Photonics V; 76061K (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.852924
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2010, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

We present a combined analysis using cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) and Raman spectroscopy to study the early formation dynamics of Si-nanocrystals, formed in SiO₂ thin films after Si⁺ implantation and rapid thermal processing (RTP). We obtained values for the diffusion coefficient of Si in thermally grown SiO₂ and the activation energy to precipitate formation in the first 100 seconds of high temperature annealing. These values indicate that the formation of Si-nanocrystals in implanted oxides proceeds much more efficiently than purely via a self diffusion process. We propose that the nanocrystal formation is assisted by the presence of both oxygen vacancies and SiO molecular species, presumably generated by the ion irradiation. Microscopy images reveal the ensemble nanocrystal population to be most accurately represented by a lognormal distribution function with characteristic values for the mean particle diameter, d and variance, σ. The evolution of the silicon nanocrystals with annealing was also investigated by measuring the Raman scattering signal associated with the TO phonon mode arising from Si-Si bonds in Si-rich oxides grown on transparent (Al₂O₃) substrates. This greatly simplifies the experimental observation of the Raman spectra from Si-nanocrystals as compared to previous studies of nanocrystals in oxide films on silicon substrates.

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Iain F. Crowe, Oksana Hulko, Andrew P. Knights, Nicholas P. Hylton, Matthew P. Halsall, Simon Ruffell, and Russell M. Gwilliam "Formation of Si-nanocrystals in SiO₂ via ion implantation and rapid thermal processing", Proc. SPIE 7606, Silicon Photonics V, 76061K (16 February 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.852924

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