Role of dislocations in scattering of charge carriers in mechanical polishing damaged layers of silicon wafers

TL;DR

This paper investigates how dislocations and linear defects in mechanically polished silicon wafers cause anomalous IR scattering behavior, revealing their significant role in carrier scattering within damaged layers.

Contribution

It uncovers the dominant contribution of dislocations and linear defects to charge carrier scattering in damaged silicon wafer layers, explaining the cubic dependence of IR scattering intensity.

Findings

Dislocations cause anomalous cubic IR scattering dependence.

Linear defects significantly contribute to carrier scattering.

Dislocations are the main scattering centers in damaged layers.

Abstract

Physical processes resulting in the anomalous (cubic) dependence of the small-angle IR scattering intensity from near-surface layers of mechanically polished silicon and germanium wafers on the photoexcitation power were revealed. It was shown that extended linear defects and dislocations in the damaged region contribute predominantly to carrier scattering.