Controlled drive-in and precipitation of hydrogen during plasma hydrogenation of silicon using a thin compressively strained SiGe layer

Abstract

We have quantitatively studied by transmission electron microscopy the growth kinetics of platelets formed during the continuous hydrogenation of a Si substrate/SiGe/Si heterostructure. We have evidenced and explained the massive transfer of hydrogen from a population of platelets initially generated in the upper Si layer by plasma hydrogenation towards a population of larger platelets located in the SiGe layer. We demonstrate that this type of process can be used not only to precisely localize the micro-cracks, then the fracture line at a given depth but also to "clean" the top layer from pre-existing defects. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.