Ion Beam Synthesis of Buried Single Crystal Erbium Silicide

Abstract

High doses (1016–1017/cm2) of 170 keV Er+ were implanted into single-crystal 〈111〉Si at implantation temperatures between 350°C and 520°C. Annealing at 800°C in vacuum following the implant, the growth and coalescence of ErSi2 precipitates leads to a buried single crystalline ErSi2 layer. This has been studied using Rutherford backscattering/channeling, X-ray diffraction, cross-sectional TEM and resistance versus temperature measurements. Samples implanted at 520°C using an Er dose of 7 × 1016/cm2 and thermally annealed were subsequently used as seeds for the mesocpitaxial growth of the buried layer during a second implantation and annealing process. Growth occurs meso-epitaxially along both interfaces through beam induced, defect mediated mobility of Er atoms. The crystalline quality of the ErSi2 layer strongly depends on the temperature during the second implantation.