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 (doses of 0.1-1 x 1016 cm-2) Sn implanation in 85 nm thick SiO2 followed by RTP annealing (800-1000°C for 30-300 under Ar or N2 dry ambient) leads to the formation of two cluster bands, near the SiO2 surface and the Si/SiO2 interface. In addition, big isolated clusters are randomly distributed in the middle of the oxide. Cluster-size distribution and cluster-crystallinty are related to implantation dose and annealing time. Low energy (10-12 kev) Sb and Sn implantation (doses 2-5 x 1015 cm-2) leads to the formation of very uniform cluster-size distribution. Under specific process conditions, only an interface cluster band is observed