Transmission Electron Microscope Observation of “IR Scattering Defects” in As-Grown Czochralski Si Crystals

Abstract

Grown-in defects detected by IR laser scattering tomography (LSTDs) in Czochralski-grown Si crystals were identified for the first time by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with a special defect positioning technique. The basic structure of each LSTD was revealed to be a composite of two or three incomplete octahedral voids with a total size of 100–300 nm. The TEM images of the defects suggest the existence of walls several nanometers thick surrounding the voids. A weak oxygen signal was detected from the defect by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The thin walls surrounding the voids were considered to be made of SiOx.