Annealing kinetics of ˆ311‰ defects and dislocation loops in the end-of-range damage region of ion implanted silicon

The evolution of both $311% defects and dislocation loops in the end-of-range ~EOR! damage region in silicon amorphized by ion implantation was studied by ex situ transmission electron microscopy ~TEM!. The amorphization of a ~100! n-type Czochralski wafer was achieved with a 20 keV 1310/cm Si ion implantation. The post-implantation anneals were performed in a furnace at 750 °C for times ranging from 10 to 370 min. After annealing the specimen for 10 min, the microstructure showed a collection of both $311% defects and small dislocation loops. The evolution of a specific group of defects was studied by repeated imaging of the same region after additional annealing. Quantitative TEM showed that $311% defects followed one of two possible evolutionary pathways as annealing times progressed; unfaulting to form dislocation loops or dissolving and releasing interstitials. Results indicate that in this temperature regime, $311% defects are the preferential site for dislocation loop nucleation. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. @S0003-6951~00!00807-X#