Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2011
A study of gettering and electrical activity of metallic impurities Ni, Au and Cu has been carried out on epitaxial Si/Si(2%Ge)/Si wafers containing interfacial misfit dislocations. The impurities were intentionally introduced from a backside deposited thin metal followed by rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) results indicate that the impurities were gettered along the misfit dislocations in near-surface regions either as Au precipitate colonies, or as NiSi2 and CuSi silicide precipitates. Data from Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in the Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC) mode revealed that these precipitates dominate the recombination properties of the initially inactive misfit dislocation.