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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
Hydrogen ion blistering has applications in the fabrication of silicon-on-insulator and other devices. Si (001) samples implanted with different fluences of 5 keV H or D ions were rapidly thermal annealed under vacuum. The surface morphology studied by atomic force microscopy revealed that: (1) there is not only a threshold fluence but also a maximum fluence for blistering; and (2) there is a giant isotope effect: The H and D blistering fluence “windows” are (1.5–3.5) × 1016 H cm-2 and (4–8) × 1016 D cm-2 respectively. Due to the higher fluences and higher gas pressure, D blisters are larger (80% surface coverage) than H blisters (60% coverage) and twice as voluminous. Raman spectroscopy and thermal desorption spectrometry suggest that the high fluence blister absence and the giant isotope effect are both connected with an enhancement of the Si–H/D bond stability.