Helium/deuterium co-implanted silicon – a thermal desorption spectrometry investigation

Thermal desorption spectrometry has been applied to investigate the blistering and exfoliation phenomena which occur at the surface of a p-type (100) silicon wafer coimplanted with helium and deuterium. During the heat treatments in linear temperature ramp, an explosive emission of both gases occurs. The phenomenon is kinetically controlled with an effective activation energy of 1.3±0.2 eV. In addition, the desorption spectra present a second contribution, attributed to deuterium emission from buried cavities. Also in this case, the process is kinetically controlled with an effective activation energy of 1.9±0.3 eV. Thermal desorption spectrometry is a suitable technique to have information about various phenomena which occur during blistering and exfoliation.