Ion-beam synthesis of buried yttrium silicide

This paper reports that buried single-crystal YSi1.7 layers have been synthesized using high fluence implants of 330 keV yttrium ions into (111) Si held at 450 degrees C followed by post-implant anneals of 1000 degrees C. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry showed that implant fluence of 3.6 x 1017 Y/cm2 forms a continuous layer of uniform thickness. Whereas, implant fluences of 1--2 x 1017 Y/cm2 form a thin continuous YSi1.7 layer with what are believed to be Y-silicide precipitates above and below the YSi1.7 layer. Strains resulting from the YSi1.7 layers were evaluated from x-ray rocking curves using a double crystal diffractometer