Supersaturated Solid Solution in Ion Implanted Semiconductors

Abstract

Irradiation of ion implanted semiconductors with high power laser pulse has been used to produce heavily supersaturated solid solutions^1,2 . Impurity concentration in excess of 103 times the maximumin equilibrium solubility have been obtained in Si implanted with Te atoms². Supersaturated solid solutions can be also obtained during thermal annealing of the amorphous surface layer produced by the implantation³. Both processes are characterized by a moving interface separating an ordered phase from a disordered one (liquid during laser and amorphous during thermal annealing). We will show that the basic mechanism leading to the formation of the supersaturated solid solution is the same in both cases, i.e. solute trapping^4–6.