EPR study of He-implanted Si

Electron paramagnetic resonance has been used to study the influence of the rmal treatments on defect evolution in helium-implanted Czochralski single- crystal silicon. It is shown that the thermal treatment induces helium migr ation and capturing by vacancy clusters that transform into pressurized bub bles. Such transformation produces a strain field, which in turn affects th e dangling bond's lineshape in its vicinity. It is shown that the strain fi eld causes asymmetry of dangling bond lineshape that is proportional to the strain field. This selects the electron paramagnetic resonance as a conven ient technique For the monitoring of the early phases of bubble formation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.