Two-dimensional dopant profiling in p+/n Junctions using scanning electron microscope coupled with selective electrochemical etching

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) combined with selective electrochemical etching was used to assess two-dimensional (2-D) dopant profiles in p+/n junctions that formed by using BF₂ implantation followed by annealing. It was discovered that the electrochemically delineated junction depth (dj) increased with an increase in the BF₂ implantation energy. It was also found that, considering the mechanism of selective electrochemical etching, dj represents the junction edge that corresponded to the electrically-activated B atoms. The simulated 2-D dopant profiles of the experimental conditions were directly compared with the SEM results, and the implications of the discrepancies are discussed in this paper.