Low-temperature annealing of polycrystalline Si1-xGex after dopant implantation

Hall effect measurement was employed to study the isothermal annealing of boron or phosphorus implanted polycrystalline Si_1-x Ge_x thin films, with x varying from 0.3-0.55. X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy were used to study the crystal structure, whereas X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to determine the film composition and the chemical bonding states of the elements. In low-temperature (⩽600°C) annealing, the conductivity, the dopant activation, and the Hall effect mobility decreased during extended annealing. The effective activation of phosphorus was less than 20% and decreased with increasing Ge content. Boron activation could reach above 70%. It was also found that Si_1-xGe_x could be oxidized at 600°C in a conventional furnace even with N₂ protection, especially for phosphorus doped films with high Ge content. Consequently, a low-temperature SiO₂ capping layer is necessary during extended annealing