Current understanding and modeling of boron-interstitial clusters

Scaling of devices requires not only shallow junctions but also high levels of dopant activation. For boron as the main p-type dopant, the latter requirement is especially problematic since small clusters of boron atoms and self-interstitials, known also as boron-interstitial clusters (BICs), were found to deactivate and immobilize large fractions of the implanted atoms during post-implantation annealing. In this article, the properties of BICs are reviewed and their influence on semiconductor processes are highlighted.