Hydrogen implantation was carried out on (001) germanium samples with doses of 3 × 1016 cm−2, 5 × 1016 cm−2 and 1 × 1017 cm−2 with 60 KeV, and germanium surface blistering phenomenon, raised by subsequent annealing in air in the temperature regions (200–250°C for 1 × 1017 cm−2 and 250–350°C for 3 × 1016 cm−2 and 5 × 1016 cm−2) for distinct durations, was studied. In Arrhenius plots that reflects the onset blistering time of annealing as a function of annealing temperature, there is a break point separated the each plot into two parts with distinct activation energies (∼2.1 eV and ∼0.6 eV) for 3 × 1016 cm−2 and 5 × 1016 cm−2 doses. The break point seems to be similar to other known materials but the opposite turning direction of the straight-line is completely different from other known materials because it is possible to derive from the diversity of defect-hydrogen complexes in germanium. On the other hand, the simple straight-line in Arrhenius plot is generated in the temperature range from 200–250°C with 1.57 eV activation energy as increasing H-implanted dose up to 1 × 1017 cm−2. The phenomenon of modifying blistering activation energy with H-implanted dose may be due to the mergence through the low and high activation energy because of competitive desorption of the defect-hydrogen complexes. The critical size of blisters to be exploded into craters increases with the enhancement of H-implanted dose and the rectangle-like periphery of the craters is obviously formed.

The annealing blistering after hydrogen implantation is a fundamental to achieve GeOI (germanium-on-insulator) by the well-known Smart-cut process. The impacts of H implantation dose and energy on the annealing kinetic plots are studied. The experimental results indicated: (1) the implantation with low dose or energy results in Arrhenius plot with a break point that separate the plot into two regions due to different activation energy; (2) the situation of the kinked kinetic plot, high and low temperature corresponding to high and low activation energy, is against that for other known materials; (3) the unitary activation energy occurs as either implantation dose or energy is enhanced. Moreover, the critical size to form craters increases with the rise of either dose or energy in H-implanted Ge. The variation of the kinetic plot may be related to the different desorption energy from the diverse types of H-platelets with distinct bind energy in germanium.

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