Oxide damage by ion implantation in silicon

Abstract

A significant increase in the etching rate of 680 nm thermally grown silicon dioxide layers has been observed following high energy ion implantation. Phosphorous and boron implantations have been considered, and the dependence upon fluence (from 1012 to 1014 atom/cm2)and ion energy (from 700 to 3000 keV) has been investigated. The effect of ion implantation has also been analyzed by thermally stimulated luminescence measurements above room temperature, to obtain complementary information on the physical mechanisms involved in the damage process. Data related to thermal annealing of oxide damage are also presented, indicating that a monotonic recovery takes place at temperatures higher than 550 °C although residual damage is observed even after thermal treatment up to 1000 °C.