Transmission electron microscopy and secondary ion mass spectroscopy were used to study the P diffusion gettering of Pt in the presence of high P concentrations. Gettering at 920C led to the formation of isolated PtSi particles adjacent to SiP precipitates. An almost closed silicide film was observed at 1100C in the absence of SiP precipitates. Under the latter conditions, a broad band of extrinsic faulted loops was observed which established a supersaturation of Si self-interstitials in the highly P-doped layer. The results supported a previous model, for the precipitation of P diffusion gettering, which assumed that local currents of Si self-interstitials could lead to silicide precipitate formation.

Phosphorus Diffusion Gettering of Platinum in Silicon: Formation of Near-Surface Precipitates. M.Seibt, A.Doller, V.Kveder, A.Sattler, A.Zozime: Physica Status Solidi B, 2000, 222[1], 327-36