Effect of surface proximity upon point defects in silicon

This paper examines the effect of the surface on the recombination kinetics of point defects in silicon. In this experiment, arsenic ions are implante d into pre-amorphized silicon wafers at different energies to various doses . Point defects, specifically interstitials, are ejected when the arsenic c oncentration exceeds a critical value. These interstitials either cluster t o form extended defects or diffuse to the surface where they are annihilate d. A quantitative evaluation of the number of atoms contained in extended d efects provides information on the effectiveness of the surface as an inter stitial sink. The results of this study show that the surface is an effecti ve sink for interstitials and that the number of interstitials annihilating at the surface increases with increasing surface proximity.