Dislocation generation related to micro-cracks in Si wafers: High temperature in situ study with white beam X-ray topography

The generation and propagation of dislocations in Si at high temperature is observed in situ with white beam X-ray topography. For the heating experiments a double ellipsoidal mirror furnace was installed at the Topo–Tomo beamline of the ANKA synchrotron light source, Research Centre Karlsruhe, Germany. Details of the experimental set-up and the first results on the occurrence of dislocations are presented. Artificial damage was generated in commercial (1 0 0) Si wafers using a nanoindenter with various loads. The applied forces for each set of indents were varied from 100 to 500 mN, respectively. After heating to approx. 790 °C large area transmission topographs were taken every 30 min which were then compared to room temperature topographs before and after heating. At the outset straight 60°-dislocations with b = a/2〈1 1 0〉 originate from the 500 mN indents into the direction of the strongest temperature gradient. After 60 min at constant temperature an increase in the length and number of the dislocations in other directions is also observed. As a result of the continual thermal stressing dislocations develop from the 100 mN indents too.