posted on 2025-04-15, 21:03authored byJunghwa Kim, Colin Gilgenbach, Aaditya Bhat, James M. LeBeau
Here, we use multislice electron ptychography to quantify
damage
introduced by ion implantation of Er into 4H-SiC. Comparing reconstructed
volumes from experiment (each 2000 nm3) along the implantation
direction, the crystal damage is quantified and compared to pristine
SiC. Using simulations, we establish that the implantation-induced
static displacements limit both Er dopant and silicon vacancy detection.
The corresponding damage in the experiment is found to occur up to
a depth of 100 nm and is significantly deeper than expected from implantation
simulations, ignoring crystallography. Beyond this depth, we show
that silicon vacancies can be identified within the sample volume
and can be used to measure their local strain. Overall, these results
underscore the power of multislice electron ptychography to quantify
the impacts of implantation and as a tool to help guide electronic
device process optimization.