Interaction between self-interstitials and substitutional C in silicon: Interstitial trapping and C clustering mechanism

In this work the Si self-interstitial-carbon interaction has been experimentally investigated and modeled. The interactions between self-interstitials, produced by 20-keV silicon implantation, and substitutional carbon in silicon have been studied using a Si 1-yC y layer grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and interposed between the near-surface self-interstitial source and a deeper B spike used as a marker for the Si-interstitial concentration. The C atoms, all incorporated in substitutional sites and with a C-dose range of 7 × 10 12-4 × 10 14 atoms/cm 2, trap the self-interstitials in such a manner that the Si 1-yC y layer behaves as a filtering membrane for the interstitials flowing towards the bulk and, consequently, strongly reduces the boron-enhanced diffusion. This trapping ability is related to the total C dose in the Si 1-yC y membrane. Substitutional carbon atoms interacting with self-interstitials are shown to trap Si interstitials, to be removed from their substitutional sites, and to precipitate into the C-rich region. After precipitation, C atoms are not able to further trap injected self-interstitials, and the interstitials generated in the surface region can freely pass through the C-rich region and produce B-enhanced diffusion. The atomistic mechanism leading to Si-interstitial trapping has been investigated by developing a simulation code describing the migration of injected interstitials. The simulation takes into account the surface recombination, the interstitial diffusion in our MBE-grown material, and C traps. Since the model calculates the amount of interstitials that actually react with C atoms, by a comparison with the experimental data it is possible to derive quantitative indications of the trapping mechanism. It is shown that one Si interstitial is able to deactivate about two C traps by means of interstitial trapping and C clustering reactions. The reaction causing trapping and deactivation is tentatively described.