Imaging of electrically detected magnetic resonance of a silicon wafer

An imaging technique of electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) was newly developed. Because the EDMR signal is obtained from paramagnetic rec ombination centers, one may expect the image to represent the distribution of defect and/or impurity sites in the sample. We successfully obtained EDM R images of a light-illuminated silicon plate 8 mm in width and 15 mm in le ngth, which was cut from a silicon wafer (n-type, 100 Omega cm), under ESR irradiation at a frequency of 890 MHz (wavelength, 340 mm). The reproducibi lity of the EDMR image obtained from a sample was amply satisfactory. When the oxidized surface of the silicon was removed, the EDMR signal disappeare d. Although the EDMR signal reappeared when the surface of the sample becam e reoxidized, the EDMR image obtained was slightly different from the earli er one. This finding shows that the EDMR image obtained from the sample sho ws the distribution of defects at the Si/SiO2 inter-face. (C) 2001 Academic Press.