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Ten-nanometer surface intrusions in room temperature silicon

Shu-Han Lin·Iris Mack·Noom Pongkrapan·P. Fraundorf
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Abstract

Defects ~10 nm in size, with number densities ~10^{10} cm^{-2}, form spontaneously beneath ion-milled, etched, or HF-dipped silicon surfaces examined in our Ti-ion getter-pumped transmission electron microscope (TEM) after exposure to air. They appear as weakly-strained non-crystalline intrusions into silicon bulk, that show up best in the TEM under conditions of strong edge or bend contrast. If ambient air exposure is <10 minutes, defect nucleation and growth can be monitored {\em in situ}. Possible mechanisms of formation are discussed.

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Shu-Han Lin, Iris Mack, Noom Pongkrapan, P. Fraundorf. 2001-10-19. Ten-nanometer surface intrusions in room temperature silicon. https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0110393

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