Investigation on grown-in defects in CZ-Si crystal under slow pulling rate

The formation process of a dislocation cluster outside the oxidation-induce d stacking fault (OSF) -ring region during Czochralski (CZ) silicon crystal growth was investigated using a quenching and in situ annealing technique. Dislocation clusters were determined to be interstitial type from inside-o utside contrast analysis of the transmission electron microscope (TEM) imag e. From the quenching experiment, the clustering temperature of dislocation s which were formed by supersaturated self-interstitials and/or small dislo cation loops was found to be about 1000 degrees C during growth. Furthermor e, the characteristic axitial distribution of dislocation size was observed in the halted crystal. This could be explained by the change in concentrat ion of supersaturated self-interstitials and the clustering of dislocations due to the enhancement of diffusion of point defects. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sc ience B.V. All rights reserved.