Optical effects resulting from deep implants of silicon with nitrogen and phosphorus

Abstract

Single crystal silicon has been implanted with nitrogen and phosphorus ions at MeV energies to fluences between 10¹⁶ and 1.6 × 10¹⁸ ions/cm₂. Infrared transmission and reflection spectra in the range of 1.25 to 40 μm were measured for as-implanted samples and after various annealing treatments. Interference fringes were observed in the IR spectra which are produced by the interference of light which has been multiply reflected between the front surface and the buried layers. By detailed theoretical analyses of the interference fringe structure, we obtained refractive index profiles, which, under suitable interpretation, provide accurate measurements and several quantities of interest. These quantities are the range and straggling of the implanted ions, the depth of disordered layers, and the width of the order-disorder transition. Mechanisms for the refractive index changes which have been identified include amorphization of the implanted silicon, bulk compositional change in the buried layer, localized vibrational mode dispersion, and free electron dispersion. Experimental results and theoretical predictions are presented, demonstrating each of these mechanisms.