Response to "Comment on 'Diffusion of n-type dopants in germanium' " [Appl. Phys. Rev. 2, 036101 (2015)]

Bracht H., Südkamp T., Radek M., Chroneos A.

Zusammenfassung

In this reply to the comment of Cowern et al., we demonstrate on the basis of full numerical simulations of radiation enhanced dopant diffusion via the kick-out mechanism that the g/λ analysis fails to consistently describe boron (B) diffusion in germanium (Ge) under irradiation. Cowern et al. missed to perform a consistency check with results for the diffusivity DI of Ge interstitials (I) determined from Ge self-diffusion under irradiation. Data deduced for DI from the exponential B profile reported by Cowern et al. deviate several orders of magnitude from the self-diffusion study. This clearly disproves the validity of the kick-out mechanism to control radiation enhanced B diffusion in Ge. Exponential B profiles like those established in Ge under irradiation are also reported for silicon by Venezia et al. [Phys. Rev. B 69, 125215 (2004)]. The characteristic shape is not described by the kick-out mechanism but rather explained qualitatively by the complex formation and dissolution of defect clusters. Modeling of B diffusion in Ge under irradiation performed by Schneider et al. [Phys. Rev. B 87, 115202 (2013)] is fully consistent with self-diffusion under irradiation. This constraint led us to conclude that the characteristic B profiles are additionally affected by the formation of immobile B clusters. Although a direct microscopic proof of B cluster formation is still lacking, the report of Venezia et al. on B clustering in Si during irradiation with similar exponential B profiles also supports our interpretation of B diffusion in Ge under irradiation.