Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
Silicon layers containing B in excess of a few atomic percent create a supersaturation of Si self-interstitials in the underlying Si, resulting in enhanced diffusion of B in the substrate (boron-enhanced diffusion, BED). The temperature- and time-dependence of BED is investigated here. Evaporated-boron as well as ultra-low energy 0.5-keV B-implanted layers were annealed at temperatures from 1100 to 800°C for times ranging from 3 to 3000s. Isochronal 10s anneals reveal that the BED effect increases with increasing temperature up to 1050°C and then decreases. In contrast, a simulation of interstitial generation via the kick-out mechanism predicts a decreasing dependence on increasing temperature leading to the conclusion that the kick-out mechanism is not the dominant source of excess interstitials responsible for BED. The diffusivity enhancements from the combined effects of BED and TED (transient-enhanced diffusion), measured in 2×105cm−2, 0.5-keV B-implanted samples, show a similar temperature dependence as seen for evaporated B, except that the maximum enhancement occurs at 1000°C. The temperature-dependent behavior of BED supports the hypothesis that the source of excess interstitials is the formation of a silicon boride phase in the high B concentration silicon layer.