FORMATION OF SiC IN SILICON BY ION IMPLANTATION

The production of SiC in single-crystal silicon by C12+ implantation to fluences of 1017/cm2-side followed by annealing has been detected by the characteristic infrared absorption of the TO phonon of SiC. Immediately following room-temperature implantation and after 20-min isochronal anneals up to temperatures ≤ 825°C, a previously unreported broad absorption band centered at 700–725 cm−1 is observed. SiC is observed to form at temperatures ≈ 850°C. For anneals ≥ 850°C, most of the broad absorption band shifts into the SiC-TO phonon absorption band. From the infrared absorption measurements together with the results of He+ backscattering, we conclude that about half of the implanted atoms are incorporated into microregions of SiC which are surrounded by bulk silicon.