The redistribution of Mg implants during post-implantation annealing was studied in order to evaluate the effect of implantation damage upon the diffusion process. Rapid up-hill diffusion was observed in the peak of Mg implants. This was explained by invoking a substitutional-interstitial diffusion mechanism and by performing computer simulations of damage-generated point defects. In the up-hill diffusion region, the dopants diffused from areas of excess interstitial concentration towards areas of excess vacancy concentration. A critical point defect concentration was necessary in order to initiate up-hill diffusion.

H.G.Robinson, M.D.Deal, D.A.Stevenson: Applied Physics Letters, 1990, 56[6], 554-6