Generation of point defects in crystalline silicon by MeV heavy ions: Dose rate and temperature dependence

Si(100) samples have been implanted with low doses (${10}^7$–${10}^9$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{-}2}$) of MeV ${}_{}{}^{76}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Ge}$ and ${}_{}{}^{120}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Sn}$ ions. Deep level transient spectroscopy was used for sample analysis, and the generation of vacancy-related point defects is found to increase with increasing implantation temperature and to decrease with increasing ion dose rate. These results are in direct contrast to that for damage buildup at high doses (≥${10}^{12}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{-}2}$), and the effect is attributed to rapidly diffusing Si self-intersititials which overlap and annihilate vacancies created in adjacent ion tracks.