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In modern nanotechnology, the studies of the interaction of accelerated ions with atoms of irradiated materials are necessary for the effective use of ion beams. The state of the near-surface regions subjected to ion irradiation during the fabrication and modification of various structures significantly affects their characteristics, hence the data on the distribution of implanted beam ions in the sample and their effect on the structure of the amorphized material are of importance. In this work, cross-sectional samples were prepared from single-crystal silicon substrates irradiated with xenon ions with a dose of about 1016 cm–2 and energy of 5 and 8 keV, and then were studied by scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. Clusters formed by implanted xenon atoms in the amorphized silicon layer were revealed in the obtained images and chemical element distribution maps. The experimental images of the cross-sectional sample of the substrate bombarded with 8 keV ions were obtained and processed. The geometric parameters of xenon clusters, the modal size of which was 1.5 nm, have been determined. Additional studies of the prepared plan-view thin foil specimen were carried out using the electron diffraction technique. The experimental profiles of the implanted xenon atom concentration were compared with the results obtained by Monte Carlo computer simulations using different mechanisms of implanted atom outgassing. The experimentally determined and calculated values of the peak xenon concentration are in good agreement and amount to about 5 at. %.

Key words: ion implantation, silicon, xenon, digital image processing, electron diffraction, Monte Carlo technique
Published in: FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCHES
Bibliography link: Podorozhniy O. V., Kireev G. S., Kuznetsov V. A., Reshetnyak A. R., Rumyantsev A. V. Electron microscopy studies of crystalline silicon after low-energy xenon ion irradiation. Izv. vuzov. Elektronika = Proc. Univ. Electronics. 2025;30(6):683–693. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.24151/1561-5405-2025-30-6-683-693.
Financial source: the experimental studies were carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation within the framework of the state assignment (Agreement FSMR-2023-0003) using the equipment of the Center for Collective Use “Diagnostics and Modification of Microstructures and Nanoobjects”, the modeling work was carried out within the framework of the implementation of the development program of the National Research University of Electronic Technology with the support of the state support program for universities of the Russian Federation “Priority 2030” of the national project “Science and Universities”. Acknowledgments: the authors would like to thank A. E. Ieshkin, Cand. Sci. (Phys.-Math), and D. K. Minnebaev, members of the Department of Physical Electronics at Lomonosov Moscow State University, for providing samples of single-crystal silicon irradiated with xenon ions.

Oleg V. Podorozhniy
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Georgii S. Kireev
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Vadim A. Kuznetsov
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Alexandra R. Reshetnyak
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

Alexander V. Rumyantsev
National Research University of Electronic Technology, Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1

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Information about the publication

UDK: 537.534.35
Publication type: Scientific article
Source lang: Russian
DOI: 10.24151/1561-5405-2025-30-6-683-693
RISC id: RYOBHQ

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