Boron diffusion and silicon self-interstitial recycling between SiGeC layers

Substitutional carbon is known to locally reduce silicon self-interstitial concentrations and act as a barrier to self-interstitial migration through the carbon rich regions. A silicon spacer between two carbon rich SiGe layers is fabricated in this work to examine self-interstitial generation in a region that is isolated from self-interstitial formation at the surface or in the silicon bulk. Boron marker layers above, below and in between two SiGeC layers are used to monitor the self-interstitial concentration between the Substitutional carbon. No evidence of self-interstitial depletion in the silicon spacer is observed, despite annealing in conditions believed sufficient to allow the self-interstitials to reach and react with surrounding Substitutional carbon. Simulations of the self-interstitial and carbon indicate that the silicon self interstitial concentration in the spacer layer can be sustained in part due to a silicon self-interstitial recycling process through a reverse "kick-out" reaction.