Effect of argon ion implantation dose on silicon Schottky barrier characteristics

Abstract
The electrical characteristics of Schottky diodes fabricated on silicon surfaces subject to low‐energy (10 keV) argon ion implantation have been studied as a function of Ar+ ion dose. Significant changes in electrical characteristics are seen for ion doses as low as 5×1011 cm2, well below the amorphization threshold dose for Si. In conjunction with the ion energy threshold established earlier for Si surface damage effects (∼25 eV), these results outline fundamental limits on the effect of ion‐assisted dry etching processes on Si surface barriers.