Thermal desorption of surface phosphorus on Si(100) surfaces

Thermal desorption of phosphorus on Si(100) surfaces has been investigated by varying the phosphorus coverage from zero to one monolayer (ML). The reaction path of phosphorus desorption is complicated and strongly dependent upon the phosphorus coverage. In the thermal description spectra, there are three apparent desorption peaks at similar to 750, similar to 850 and similar to 1000 degrees C. The entire phosphorus atoms on the surface desorb as P-3 through recombinative reactions irrespective of the desorption temperature and the coverage. In the lower coverages below 0.2 ML, the thermal desorption spectra are characterized by a single peak at similar to 900 degrees C which is considered to be the desorption from Si-P heterodimers. At higher coverages exceeding 0.2 ML, it is considered that three desorption schemes from P-P, Si-P dimers and defects coexist in the reaction stage. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.