ANNEALING OF SCRATCHES ON NEAR (111) SILICON SLICES

Scratches on near (111) silicon surfaces in (112) and (110), annealed in the temperature regime 900-1200 degrees C in pure argon, have been examined by Lang Topography. As reported previously the pre-anneal strain field around scratches on near (111) silicon surfaces is consistent with the field of compressive stresses around abrasions on diamond faces as proposed by Frank, Lawn, Lang and Wilks in 1967. On near (111) silicon surfaces this strain field is relaxed on annealing by dislocation glide on (111). By simulating the stress field of Frank et al. (1967) with a group of like-signed edge dislocations with their corresponding images, the strain relaxation process has been examined. Experimental results are found to be in good agreement with the theoretical model proposed within the band of activation energy 0.80 ev<or=U<or=1.28 eV.