Hydrogen blistering of silicon: Effect of implantation temperature, isotope dependence, and key role of dynamic annealing

Blistering of (001) Cz–Si crystals (>1Ωcm), by either protium (H) or deuterium (D) ions of 5keV energy, was studied as a function of the sample temperature during implantation in the range of 150–450K. It was found that the blistering dose thresholds decreased with temperature, and very dramatically so in the case of D ions, revealing new aspects of the giant isotope effect. An optimal implantation temperature for ion cutting was found around 100°C, where the required dose is reduced and the isotope effect is minimized. The results are interpreted in terms of models of the interaction of implanted hydrogen with radiation defects, and they show that dynamic annealing is incomparably more efficient in promoting blistering than purely thermal annealing.