Evolution of defects upon annealing in He-implanted 4H-SiC

The strain induced by room temperature helium implantation into 4H-SiC below the threshold amorphization dose results from both point and He-related defects. When the helium concentration is lower than 0.5% the strain profile follows the point defect profile, whereas at higher concentrations the He ions have a dominant effect on the strain. Upon annealing, the near surface strain progressively relaxes up to 1500 °C while the maximum strain relaxation stops at a temperature where helium ions agglomerate into platelets. When the vacancies become mobile, the platelets evolve into bubble clusters that expel dislocation loops whose migration is enhanced by the strain.