Localization and preparation of recombination-active extended defects for transmission electron microscopy analysis

Abstract

Recombination-active extended defects in semiconductors frequently occur at a low density which makes their structural and chemical analysis by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques virtually impossible. Here an approach is described that uses in situ electron beam induced current (EBIC) in a focused ion beam machine to localize such defects for TEM lamella preparation. As an example, a defect complex occurring in block-cast multicrystalline silicon with a density of less than 10(4) cm(-3) has been prepared and analyzed by TEM. The chemical sensitivity of the technique is estimated to be about 10(13) atoms cm(-2) which is comparable to synchrotron-based x-ray techniques. The localization accuracy of the TEM lamella is shown to be better than 50 nm when low-energy EBIC is used.

Microscopic electronic and structural analysis of femtosecond laser sulfur hyperdoped silicon

“…Microscopic methods employed in this work are AFM and KFM using an Agilent Technologies 5600LS Scanning Probe Microscope , EBIC using a Stanford Research Systems Model SR570 in a FEI Nova NanoLab 600 or a FEI Nova NanoSEM 650 as described in detail in Ref. () and TEM using a Philips CM200‐UT‐FEG equipped with a Link ISIS system for energy‐dispersive x‐ray spectrometry (EDX) or a Titan 80‐300 G2 ETEM operated at 300 kV. EBIC images shown in this paper are obtained at 5 kV beam voltage unless otherwise stated.…”

“…Depth dependent analyses have been performed in cross‐section geometry using the procedure described previously in Ref. () as well as by shallow‐angle bevel polishing which opens the route to employ surface‐sensitive techniques such as AFM and KFM.…”

“…In this work, we present first results of a novel approach to study the electrical and structural properties of sulfur hyperdoped regions of p‐type silicon substrates without post‐annealing treatment. We use the previously established technique of electron beam induced current (EBIC) in a focused ion beam (FIB) setup ( in situ EBIC/FIB) () which makes it possible to investigate the recombination properties by EBIC in combination with TEM analysis. In addition, we used a shallow‐angle bevel polishing in order to facilitate the application of the surface sensitive techniques atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Kelvin force microscopy (KFM).…”

Low energy scanning transmission electron beam induced current for nanoscale characterization of p–n junctions

“…The silicon p + –n junction was produced by Al alloying, by evaporating a 1 µm thick Al layer on n‐type multicrystalline Si (P‐concentration 10 16 cm –3 ) and subsequently annealing at 592 °C in an Ar atmosphere, thus forming a region with p‐doping 10 18 cm –3 . Lamella preparation and EBIC measurements were carried out in an FEI Nova Nanolab 600 Dual Beam FIB microscope (see for a detailed description of the experimental setup). The resulting wedge‐shaped lamella is shown in Fig.…”

Recombination and Charge Collection at Nickel Silicide Precipitates in Silicon Studied by Electron Beam‐Induced Current

“…Transmission Electron Microscopy: For sample preparation for TEM and EBIC studies of individual precipitates in cross-section geometry, the in situ EBIC/FIB procedure described in the study by Falkenberg et al [37] was applied. Briefly, an FEI Nova NanoLab 600 dual beam equipped with a GATAN EBIC setup was used to localize individual precipitates by EBIC and subsequently dig a cross section (Figure 9a) or excavate a lamella containing a single precipitate (Figure 9b), which immediately allowed for cross-section EBIC experiments.…”