Hydrogen-enhanced self-organization of interstitial-type defect aggregations in silicon

Influence of hydrogen impurity on nanocluster formation of interstitial-typ e defects in silicon has been studied by means of electron paramagnetic res onance (EPR) along with uniaxial stress experiments. We demonstrate that hy drogen implantation in silicon strongly stimulates self-assembling formatio n of self-interstitial nanoclusters during annealing of sample at 600-700 K . In aluminum-doped silicon implanted with hydrogen at 80 and 300 K, new de fects are observed and were interpreted as arising from aluminum clusters c ontaining more than two aluminum atoms. These clusters are created by hydro gen-enhanced low-temperature diffusion of aluminum atoms. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.