Noble gas induced defects in silicon

摘要

Low energy bombardment of silicon with noble gas ions generates a family of defects with characteristic low-temperature photoluminescence spectra. The defect distribution up to one #mu#m below the sample surface indicates an unusually enhanced migration mechanism during the bombardment of the specimen. Annealing the samples above 500 deg leads to the disappearance of the photoluminescence spectra and the formation of new, more extended defects, which are excellent gettering sites for transition metals, in particular copper. Systematic calculations of noble-gas vacancy interactions imply a model for the photoluminescing defect where the noble gas atom is trapped by a divacancy.