Voids in ion-implanted silicon

The vacancy defect subsystem is studied by means of electron microscopy in ion-implanted silicon. It has been discovered that, unlike the interstitial atoms which form rod-like defects and two-dimensional defects (dislocation loops, stacking faults), vacancies condense during annealing into three-dimensional associations-voids. The formation temperature of a void consisting of approximately 103 vacancies in 400-5000C. Voids have the tendency to associate into more complicated complexes; as a result of void interaction, disk-like clusters are formed in P+- implanted silicon. At temperatures 700-7500C, disk interaction is likely to take place which is accompanied by extended defect formation-chains. At annealing temperatures 800-8500C voids do not collapse in vacancy dislocation loops and chains do not rearrange in dislocation; all the defects dissolve in matrix. It has been shown that the postannealing defect distribution is heterogeneous. The experimental data are discussed in detail. (author)