Transmission electron microscopy study of blisters in high-temperature annealed He and H co-implanted single-crystal silicon

Transmission electron microscopy has allowed us to draw the three-dimensional structure of blisters formed after high-temperature annealing of He-H co-implanted silicon by combining the unique capability of site-selective cross sectioning of the focused ion beam with conventional plan view images. It has been shown that blisters are formed by crystalline lamellae strongly bended, plastically deformed, and suspended over buried empty cavities. The volume of the protruding blister surface is almost equal to the buried empty volumes, thus suggesting a mechanism for blister formation based on H and He precipitation and migration of silicon atoms toward the surface.