UV laser incorporation of dopants into silicon: Comparison of two processes

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Abstract
The incorporation properties of implanted or deposited Sb into the Si lattice as a result of irradiation with a pulsed KrF ultraviolet laser have been compared. The surface melting dynamics resulting from laser irradiation have been studied in both cases by time-resolved optical reflectivity. The distribution profiles of the Sb, deduced from Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and ion channeling measurements, show in both cases a maximum substitutional concentration of 2.1×1021 cm−3. Substitutional solubility is limited by interface instabilities which develop during regrowth and lead to the formation of a well-defined cellular structure, as shown by transmission electron microscopy. For the deposited case, we observe a much larger cellular microstructure in addition to the cells induced by interface instabilities. The large cell structure may result from convection-induced instabilities.