Oxidation-Retarded Diffusion of Bismuth in Silicon

Abstract

The effect of thermal oxidation of silicon on the diffusion of bismuth in silicon has been investigated quantitatively. The diffusion coefficients of bismuth during drive-in are determined by adopting the best-fitted parameters in the numerical simulation of the experiments. The diffusion of bismuth is retarded by the thermal oxidation of silicon. The degree of retardation is less than that of antimony. The oxidation time dependence of the retardation is more marked than that of antimony. These contradictions suggest that the diffusion mechanism of bismuth in silicon may not be a simple dual mechanism.