Diffusion-driven precipitate growth and ripening of oxygen precipitates in boron doped silicon by dynamical x-ray diffraction

X-ray Pendellösung fringes from three silicon single crystals measured at 900 °C are analyzed with respect to density and size of oxygen precipitates within a diffusion-driven growth model and compared with TEM investigations. It appears that boron doped (p+) material shows a higher precipitate density and a higher strain than moderately (p-) boron crystals. In-situ diffraction reveals a diffusion-driven precipitate growth followed by a second growth regime in both materials. An interpretation of the second growth regime in terms of Ostwald ripening yields surface energy values (around 70 erg/cm2) similar to published data. Further, an increased nucleation rate by a factor of ∼13 is found in the p+ sample as compared to a p- sample at a nucleation temperature of 450 °C.