Real-time in situ study of hydrogen diffusion in amorphous Si formed by ion implantation

The diffusion of hydrogen in amorphous silicon formed by ion implantation is studied using real-time elastic recoil detection analysis. An activation energy for H diffusion of 1.82 eV is determined in a single ramped anneal. This activation energy is consistent with diffusion studies in the high H concentration regime. The low beam current employed is found to have a negligible influence on the H diffusion within the sensitivity of the measurement. Further refinements for increased accuracy of this technique are discussed.