Two-Stage Shrinkage Behavior of Multielement-Molecular-Ion-Implantation-Induced Dislocation Loops Revealed by Real-Time TEM Observation

Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensors (CISs) have important functions in sensing devices in automotive, infrastructural, industrial, and medical applications. One of the most serious technical issues for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensors (CISs) is dark current originating from pixels. The representative origins of dark current are metal and oxygen impurities, and silicon dioxide (SiO$_{2})/$silicon (Si) interface state defects. Therefore, it is indispensable for high-performance CISs to develop technologies for removal of metal and oxygen impurities from pixels, and reduction of SiO$_{2}/$Si interface state defect density. Recently, we have developed hydrocarbon-molecular-ion $(C_{3} H_{5}$ ion)-implanted epitaxial silicon (Si) wafer as a functional wafer for CISs [1]. In $C_{3} H_{5} -$ion-implanted epitaxial Si wafer, C-interstitial Si precipitates act as gettering sinks [1]. $C_{3} H_{5} -$ion-implanted epitaxial Si wafer can reduce dark current in typical CISs with four-transistor-type pinned photodiode [1] owing to two attractive features of C-interstitial Si precipitates; one is the gettering of metal and oxygen (O) impurities [2], [3], and the another is the trapping of hydrogen (H) [4] and the reduction in SiO$_{2}/$Si interface state defect density by re-release of once-trapped hydrogen [5].