Analysis of Surface Morphology and Chemical Composition of Silicon Implanted with Copper Ions

Abstract

© 2020, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. Abstract: We report on the results of analysis of the structure and chemical composition of the surface of c-Si single crystal substrates implanted with Cu+ ions with energy of 40 keV and doses in a range of 3.1 × 1015–1.25 × 1017 ions/cm2 for a current density of 8 μA/cm2 in the ion beam. It has been established using scanning electron microscopy and probe microscopy combined with X-ray photoelectron and Auger spectroscopy that at the initial stage, the implantation with Cu+ ions to a dose of 6.25 × 1016 ions/cm2 induces the formation of Cu nanoparticles with an average size of 10 nm in the Si surface layer. Upon a further increase in the implantation dose, beginning with 1.25 × 1017 ions/cm2 and higher, the nucleation of the η phase of copper silicide (η-Cu3Si) is observed. This is due to heating of the surface layer of the Si substrate during its irradiation to a temperature facilitating the formation of the η-Cu3Si phase.