A study of Ar implantation induced defects in SiO2

Electron paramagnetic resonance, transmission infra-red spectroscopy and fixed oxide charge measurements have been performed on Ar implanted, thermal SiO2 films grown on n-type (100) Si. The implantation energy range was 50-125 keV and the dose 1011-1014/cm2. The intensity of the infra-red absorption at 1013 cm-1 and the resonance spectrum appear to be correlated; in both cases the signal saturates when the energy deposited into displacement processes is of the order of 1020 keV/cm3. Away from saturation, the number of defects per Ar implant increases linearly with energy and is typically 30 for an implant energy of 125 keV. No correlation is found between the infra-red or resonance results and fixed oxide charge measurements. We reason that although the infra-red and resonance spectra appear to correlate, the two signals arise from different defect centres. (orig.)