Characterization of Process-Induced Defects
Résumé
Defects in crystalline silicon are often detrimental for devices notably affecting dopant diffusion during processing and finally causing leakage. While classical techniques such as weak‐beam dark field (WBDF) and Fresnel contrast imaging have been at the core of defect characterization for decades, new techniques making use of geometric phase analysis (GPA) of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images or electron holography can provide complementary information, in particular the amplitude of Burgers vectors of dislocations. This chapter describes the techniques and methodologies that are to be used to study quantitatively populations of ion implantation induced defects. The defects are separated into two classes: those formed by the agglomeration of "excess atoms", that is Si self‐interstitials and/or impurities (traditionally named extrinsic) and those formed by the condensation of vacancies (traditionally named intrinsic). The chapter addresses both cases through selected examples often encountered when processing the electronic materials.