Reassessment of defect models in graphite strip heater zone-melt recrystallized material by non-destructive thin film diagnostics

Summary form only given. Recent state-of-the-art graphite strip heater ZMR wafers were examined by nondestructive diagnostic tools especially suited for the characterization of very thin Si films. In particular, glancing angle reflection X-ray topography, which revealed slip dislocation networks in the recrystallized superficial Si film, was used. It was found that the dense orthogonal network of dislocations is aligned along <011> and superimposed on the subboundaries. According to TEM analysis the dislocation density ranges between 10⁷/cm² to 10⁸/cm² maximum. This orthogonal dislocation network has never been observed before by preferential chemical defect etching because the 0.5 μm ZMR Si films are too thin to develop detectable each pits. As a further evaluation, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was applied to selective areas of ZMR wafers. TEM analysis of these films showed orthogonal rows of dislocation clusters aligned along the <011> directions