A detailed study was made of the comparative thermal evolutions of H- and D-related defects in Si implanted with 2 x 1016H or D/cm2, or co-implanted with 2.5 x 1015He/cm2 and 7 x 1015H/cm2, in both orders. By using ion channelling, positron annihilation spectroscopy, and Raman scattering spectroscopy, it was found that H and deuterium interact remarkably differently with primary point defects. He post implantation was found to destroy vacancies highly passivated by H, whereas He pre-implantation accelerates their evolution into atomically smooth internal surfaces. By comparing different systems, subtle points in the interactions between the implanted atoms and point defects were evidenced, and critical defect complexes involved in Si blistering were identified. Finally, the origins of the isotopic and synergistic effects observed in low energy ion-induced Si blistering were discussed.

Influence of Isotopic Substitution and He Coimplantation on Defect Complexes and Voids Induced by H Ions in Silicon. O.Moutanabbir, B.Terreault, M.Chicoine, F.Schiettekatte, P.J.Simpson: Physical Review B, 2007, 75[7], 075201