Stacking Faults from Oxide Precipitates in CZ Silicon

Abstract

Nucleation and growth of, oxide precipitates and stacking faults, in Czochralski grown silicon, was investigated by means of etching technique and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the precipitate density, stacking fault density and the silicon interstitial content could be controlled by two-step annealing. Silicon interstitials were emitted by the oxygen precipitation and absorbed by stacking faults which nucleated at a few per cent of precipitates. Using such well defined specimens, the stacking fault growth, limited by silicon interstitial diffusion, was realized. The diameter of the stacking fault showed t3/4 dependence until the growth termination occurred. The silicon interstitial diffusion coefficient was obtained to be 10-10 to 10-12 cm2/sec and the migration energy to be 3.6 eV between 1200° and 1000°C.