High-Temperature Annealing by Subatmospheric-Pressure Radio-Frequency Capacitively Coupled Plasma

High-temperature annealing was performed by a novel annealing system using subatmospheric-pressure radio-frequency capacitively coupled plasma (SAP-CCP). The heating characteristics and stability of discharge were studied. An electrode temperature of 1900 degrees C was obtained with a stable and uniform glow-like discharge. Also, the characteristics of annealing were investigated using silicon wafers implanted with boron ions accelerated by 5 kV at doses of 2.0 x 10(15) cm(-2). The sheet resistance decreased with increasing annealing temperature in the same manner as in conventional rapid thermal annealing. As a result, a sheet resistance of 86 Omega/sq was successfully achieved at an electrode temperature of 1080 degrees C without any surface roughness. (C) 2012 The Japan Society of Applied Physics