Nucleation and growth of {113} defects and {111} dislocation loops in silicon-implanted silicon

Plan-view and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy have been used to study the microstructural characterization of the nucleation and growth behavior of {113} rodlike defects, as well as their correlation with {111} dislocation loops in silicon amorphized with 50 keV, 3.6×10¹⁴ Si/cm², 8.0 mA and annealed by rapid thermal anneals at temperatures from 500 °C to 1100 °C for various times. We found that the nucleations of the {113} rodlike defects and {111} dislocation loops are two separate processes. At the beginning of anneals, excess interstitials accumulate and form circular interstitial clusters at the preamorphous/crystalline interface at as low as 600 °C for 1 s. Then these interstitial clusters grow along the 〈110〉 direction to form {113} rodlike defects. Later, while the {113} defects have begun to grow and/or dissolve into matrix, the {111} faulted Frank dislocation loops start to form. We also found that the initial interstitial clusters prefer to grow along the 〈110〉 directions inclined to the implantation surface.