X-ray diffraction imaging of dislocation generation related to microcracks in Si wafers

The nucleation of dislocations at indents in silicon following rapid thermal annealing (RTA) has been examined by X-ray diffraction imaging (topography). For indentation loads below 200 mN, no slip bands were generated from the indent sites following RTA at 1000 °C under spike conditions. Upon plateau annealing at 1000 °C, slip dislocations were propagated from some indents but not all. Slip was also observed from edge defects not associated with indentation. For 500-mN indentation load, large scale dislocation sources were generated from the indent sites propagating on two of the four {111} slip planes. These dislocations multiplied into macroscopic-scale slip bands. A significant change in morphology was observed in the 60° dislocation segments after the screw segment reached the rear surface of the wafer. Dislocations changed line direction and in some cases appeared to leave the Peierls trough during glide.