Laser-stimulated scattering microscope study of an ion-implanted silicon surface

Surface modification of a silicon single crystal induced by argon ion implantation of a light dose condition (300 keV, 10¹¹atoms/cm²) has been investigated using a laser-stimulated scattering microscope, whose operational principle is based on microscopic measurements of transient reflecting gratings (TRGs). One-dimensional distributions of various material parameters, velocity, onset time and attenuation coefficient of surface acoustic waves and parameters relating to thermal diffusion, thermal expansion and optical absorption, are determined by analyzing the TRG responses measured sequentially along a line across the implanted and unimplanted regions. Some theoretical aspects are presented for the empirical equation used in deducing these parameters from the TRG responses. The change in the anisotropic property of the acoustic velocity is also discussed.