Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol.147, No.11, 4329-4332, 2000
Ionization and mass spectrometry of decaborane for shallow implantation of boron into silicon
Future generations of Si electronic devices will need very shallow p-n junctions, in the tens of nanometer range. Implantation of B to form p-type junctions of such low depth requires very low energies, below 1 keV, where the ion beam formation and transport are hindered by space-charge effects. Shallow implantation also can be achieved using higher energy beams of ionized large molecules, such as decaborane (B10H14), since the atoms are implanted with only a fraction of the beam energy. Measurements of electron impact ionization and breakup of decaborane in the electron energy range, 25-260 eV, and temperatures up to 350 degreesC are reported here. Ions containing 10 B atoms were found to be the dominant component in all measured mass spectra. In another set of experiments, the beams of the B10Hx+ cluster ions were generated in an electron impact ionization source, mass analyzed, transported through a 2.5 m long ion beam line, and implanted into Si. No significant breakup of the ions and no neutral beam component were found. Beams of ions with ten B atoms were formed more easily and are more robust than initially thought. The results confirm the potential of decaborane cluster ions for low energy implantation of boron.