Si self-interstitial injection from Sb complex formation in Si

It has recently been established that Si self-interstitials are generated d uring annealing of high-concentration Sb layers in Si. In the present work, we make use of samples grown with molecular-beam epitaxy. We monitor, at d ifferent times and temperatures, the diffusion enhancement or retardation o f deep B or Sb marker layers next to a 1.1x10(20) cm(-3) Sb box, as well as the formation of Sb precipitates within the box. It is concluded that the interstitials are not associated with precipitate growth, but that they are generated from formation of Sb-vacancy complexes, primarily involving 2 Sb atoms. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)04319-X].