Structure of an In Situ Phosphorus-Doped Silicon Ultrathin Film Analyzed Using Second Harmonic Generation and Simplified Bond-Hyperpolarizability Model

In fabricating advanced silicon (Si)-based metal-oxide semiconductors, the ability to inspect dopant distribution in Si ultrathin films (tens of nm) is crucial for monitoring the amount of dopant diffusion. Here, we perform an anisotropic reflective second harmonic generation (SHG) measurement to demonstrate the sensitivity of SHG to phosphorus (P) concentration within the range of 2.5x10(17) to 1.6x10(20 )atoms/cm(3). In addition, we propose an analysis method based on a simplified bond-hyperpolarizability model to interpret the results. The bond vector model that corresponds to the P vacancy clusters is built to calculate the SHG contribution from substitutionally incorporated P atoms. The effect of incorporating P into the Si lattice is reflected in the effective hyperpolarizability, lattice tilt, and deformation of this model. The fitting results of the intuitively defined coefficients exhibit a high correlation to the P concentration, indicating the potential of this model to resolve the properties in complex material compositions. Finally, a comparison with Fourier analysis is made to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this model. Combined anisotropic reflective SHG (Ani-RSHG) and the simplified bond-hyperpolarizability model (SBHM) can analyze the crystal structure of doped ultrathin films and provide a non-destructive nanophotonic way for in-line inspection.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the sensitivity of second harmonic generation (SHG) to phosphorus (P) concentration in silicon (Si) ultrathin films and proposes a simplified bond-hyperpolarizability model to interpret the results. The model accurately calculates the SHG contribution from substitutionally incorporated P atoms and shows a high correlation to P concentration. The combination of anisotropic reflective SHG and the simplified bond-hyperpolarizability model provides a non-destructive nanophotonic method for analyzing crystal structure.