Formation of nanoclusters of gadolinium atoms in silicon

Abstract

A technology of stagewise low-temperature diffusion of gadolinium into silicon that makes it possible to form nanoclusters of impurity atoms with a significant magnetic moment distributed throughout the volume of the material has been developed. It is shown that, unlike the samples obtained by high-temperature diffusion doping, the samples prepared by the new technology do not have surface erosion, and alloys and silicides are not formed in the near-surface region. Nanoclusters of impurity atoms of gadolinium in the volume of the crystal lattice of the silicon are studied using an MIK-5 infrared microscope. It is found that, in the stagewise low-temperature diffusion, the temperature and time of the diffusion have an effect not only on the depth of penetration of the impurities but also on the sizes of the resulting clusters; these factors can also prevent the formation of clusters. The study of the effect of low-temperature treatments on the size and distribution of clusters shows that, upon annealing in the temperature range of 500–700°C, the ordering of the clusters of gadolinium impurity atoms is observed. A further increase in the annealing temperature leads to the destruction of gadolinium clusters in the silicon bulk.