Plasma Annealing of Ion Implanted Semiconductors

Abstract

A gas discharge system is used to anneal BF(,2)('+) implanted silicon. The system is compact and efficient, and has a continuously variable power flux incident on the surface of the sample.

It is found samples annealed in this system exhibit a non-uniform regrowth from the amorphous-single crystal interface. This result is attributed to the non-instantaneous temperature rise of the sample. Also, samples annealed at power fluxes of 17 W/cm('2) or greater show about 100% activation of the boron in the initially amorphized region. Samples annealed at lower power levels exhibit a complete regrowth of the amorphous layer, but the activation of the boron decreases as the power level decreases. Continued annealing of these samples at the same power flux has little effect on the activation.