Atomic-scale imaging of individual dopant atoms and clusters in highly n-type bulk Si
Top Cited Papers
- 1 April 2002
- journal article
- letter
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Nature
- Vol. 416 (6883), 826-829
- https://doi.org/10.1038/416826a
Abstract
As silicon-based transistors in integrated circuits grow smaller, the concentration of charge carriers generated by the introduction of impurity dopant atoms must steadily increase. Current technology, however, is rapidly approaching the limit at which introducing additional dopant atoms ceases to generate additional charge carriers because the dopants form electrically inactive clusters1. Using annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy, we report the direct, atomic-resolution observation of individual antimony (Sb) dopant atoms in crystalline Si, and identify the Sb clusters responsible for the saturation of charge carriers. The size, structure, and distribution of these clusters are determined with a Sb-atom detection efficiency of almost 100%. Although single heavy atoms on surfaces or supporting films have been visualized previously2,3,4, our technique permits the imaging of individual dopants and clusters as they exist within actual devices.Keywords
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