The in-diffusion and annealing of substitutional Ni atoms in dislocation-free material were studied at 940 to 1020C in order to distinguish between site exchange mechanisms for Ni atoms. The concentration of substitutional Ni atoms varied with time, according to the theoretical predictions for a dissociative mechanism. It was found that the in-diffusion and annealing rates were accelerated by Ni precipitation in the bulk.

In-Diffusion and Annealing Process of Substitutional Nickel Atoms in Dislocation-Free Silicon. S.Tanaka, T.Ikari, H.Kitagawa: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics - 1, 2001, 40[5A], 3063-8