Ten-nanometer surface intrusions in room temperature silicon

2001/10/19 by Shu-Han Lin, Iris Mack, Noom Pongkrapan +1
Physics and Astronomy · #cond-mat.mtrl-sci #physics.chem-ph

paper · pdf

published as Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, 5 (9) G83-G85 (2002) · 4 pages, 5 figures, RevTeX4

arxiv created 2001/10/19 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30

Abstract

Defects ~10 nm in size, with number densities ~10¹⁰ cm^-2, form spontaneously beneath ion-milled, etched, or HF-dipped silicon surfaces examined in our Ti-ion getter-pumped transmission electron microscope (TEM) after exposure to air. They appear as weakly-strained non-crystalline intrusions into silicon bulk, that show up best in the TEM under conditions of strong edge or bend contrast. If ambient air exposure is <10 minutes, defect nucleation and growth can be monitored \em in situ. Possible mechanisms of formation are discussed.

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