Relaxation of vacancy depth profiles in silicon wafers: A low apparent diffusivity of vacancy species

Vacancy depth profiles in silicon wafersinstalled by Rapid Thermal Annealing and monitored by Pt diffusionshow, upon subsequent annealing at 975 or 950 °C, a peculiar evolution: the concentration profile goes down without any trace of vacancy out-diffusion. The estimated apparent diffusivity is less than 1E7 cm2/s at 975 °C. The monitored vacancy species is tentatively identified as a "slow vacancy" that was recently concluded to exist along with other (highly mobile) vacancy species.