Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations were used to analyze the ripening and dissolution of small Si interstitial clusters and {113} defects, and its influence on transient enhanced diffusion of dopants in Si. The evolution of Si interstitial defects was studied in terms of the probabilities of emitted Si interstitials being recaptured by other defects or in turn being annihilated at the surface. These two probabilities were related to the average distance among defects and their distance to the surface, respectively. During the initial stages of the defect ripening, when the defect concentration was high enough and the distance among them was small, Si interstitials were mostly exchanged among defects with a minimal loss of them to the surface. Only when defects grow to large sizes and their concentration decreased, the loss of Si interstitials through diffusion to the surface prevails, causing their dissolution. The presence of large and stable defects near the surface was also possible when the implant energy was low (small distance to the surface) but the dose was high enough (even smaller distance among defects). The exchange of Si interstitials among defects sets a interstitial supersaturation responsible for the temporary enhancement of the diffusivity of interstitial diffusing dopants. The transitory feature of the enhancement was well correlated to the extinction of the Si interstitial defects.

Atomistic Analysis of Defect Evolution and Transient Enhanced Diffusion in Silicon. M.Aboy, L.Pelaz, L.A.Marqués, L.Enriquez, J.Barbolla Journal of Applied Physics, 2003, 94[2], 1013-8