Gettering of integrated circuits of silicon using ion beam damaged regions

The yield of integrated devices is strongly determined by contaminating impurities (Cu, Ni, Fe, Au) on the silicon wafers, introduced during semiconductor growing and/or wafer processing steps. By implanting inert high energy ions (Ar, Xe) into the backside (backside gettering) of the wafer, amorphic zones outside the device regions are generated, the residual damage of which (crystallographic defects) acts as sinks for the fast diffusing heavy metal ions. The gettering efficiency of the method is shown by the improvement of essential material parameters. (author)