Evolution of CoSi2 buried structures created by high temperature Co+ ion implantation into Si(1 0 0) during post-implantation annealing

The evolution of buried structures of cobalt disilicide, which are formed in a Si(1 0 0) matrix by 400 keV Co+ ion implantation at 875 K substrate temperature with subsequent rapid thermal annealing at 1275 K was studied by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM). The analysis of identical samples with successive variations of the implanted doses and annealing times allows a detailed observation of the role of defects, created by the ion flux, on the process of ripening and growth of CoSi2 precipitates. We found that transport of the implanted material along diffusive links leads to the formation of a secondary CoSi2 distribution between the main layer and the surface. Post-implantation annealing results in the evolution of defects into dislocations, which affects the mobility and therefore the growth of CoSi2 precipitates. Increasing the annealing time leads to the separate growth of precipitates in each layer. The result is not the formation of a single uniform buried layer because the distance between the individual layers is too large due to a screening effect, which operates during the ripening stage.