We are studying the effect of pressure on boron diffusion in silicon in order to better understand the nature of the point defects responsible for diffusion. Si homoepitaxial layers delta-doped with boron were grown using molecular beam epitaxy. Diffusion anneals were performed in a high temperature diamond anvil cell using fluid argon as a pressure medium. Diffusivities were deduced from B concentration-depth profiles measured with using secondary ion mass spectrometry. Preliminary results indicate that pressure enhances B diffusion in Si at 850 ˚C, characterized by an average activation volume of -0.125±0.02 times the atomic volume, and thus appear consistent with an interstitial-based diffusion mechanism. Results are compared with previous hydrostatic-pressure studies, with results in biaxially strained films, and with atomistic calculations of activation volumes for self diffusion.Engineering and Applied Science
