Kinetics of Ion Beam Synthesis of Sn and Sb Clusters in SiO2 Layers

In this work we investigate the ion beam synthesis of Sn and Sb clusters in thin oxides. 80 keV (fluences of 0.1-1 × 1016 cm−2) Sn implantation in 85 nm thick SiO2, followed by annealing (800-1000°C for 30-300 sec under Ar or N 2 dry ambient) in a rapid thermal processing (RTP) system, leads to the formation of two cluster bands, near the middle of the SiO2 layer and the Si/SiO2 interface. In addition, big isolated clusters are randomly distributed between the two bands. Cluster-size distribution and cluster-crystallinity are related to implantation fluence and annealing time. Low energy (10-12 keV) Sb and Sn implantation (fluences 2-5 × 1015 cm−2) leads to the formation of very uniform cluster-size distribution. Under specific process conditions, only an interface cluster band is observed.