Deep-level transient spectroscopic, photoluminescence and transmission electron microscopic measurements were made of n-type material after implanting 5.6MeV Si3+ ions to doses of 109 to 1014/cm2, and annealing at 525 or 750C. In all the samples, there was only a small dependence of the widths and energies of the photoluminescence zero-phonon lines upon implantation dose; thus allowing the high resolution of photoluminescence to be exploited. In samples which were annealed at 525C, the photoluminescence intensity could reveal the defect concentration for implantation doses of 109 to 1012/cm2. The C-H complexes were identified as being transient under increasing doses, and a so-called T-center was related to a deep level transient spectroscopy trap at 0.2eV below Ec. At the highest doses, transmission electron microscopic imaging revealed the presence of nm-sized clusters, and the photoluminescence spectra showed that many previously unreported defects existed in the implanted zone; in addition to broad bands which were centered on 885 and 930MeV. The multiplicity of defects supported suggestions that a range of interstitial complexes was present in annealed samples. Annealing at 750C produced complete recovery in both deep level transient spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectra, for doses of less than 1013/cm2. At higher doses, {113} self-interstitial aggregates were observed by transmission electron microscopy; together with the so-called 903 photoluminescence signal which was associated with {113} defects, and the Ec-0.33eV so-called KA deep level transient spectroscopy trap. The data supported the identification of that trap with {113} defects. The well-resolved photoluminescence spectra showed that many previously reported defects also existed in samples which were implanted to a dose of 1014/cm2, and annealed at 750C. This again implied the presence of a range of interstitial complexes.

Photoluminescence, Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy Measurements of MeV Self-Ion Implanted and Annealed n-Type Silicon. D.C.Schmidt, B.G.Svensson, M.Seibt, C.Jagadish, G.Davies: Journal of Applied Physics, 2000, 88[5], 2309-17