Buried nanoscale damaged layers formed in Si and SiC crystals as a result of high-dose proton implantation

Buried nanoscale damaged layers formed in Si and SiC crystals via 50-and 100-keV proton implantation were studied. It is shown that the sensitivity of atomic-force microscopy is sufficiently high to detect the initial stages of the development of hydrogen-containing voids and microcracks in subsurface layers of irradiated crystals and to study exfoliation of the crystals in the plane of microcracks. As a result, quantitative criteria for the formation of buried damaged layers in the studied crystals were derived; also, the conditions for blistering and for implementation of the “Smart-Cut” technology were determined.