Size-distribution and annealing behavior of end-of-range dislocation loops in silicon-implanted silicon

End-of-range (EOR) dislocation loops in silicon implanted with 50 keV 10(super 16) Si/sq.cm. were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Furnace anneals at 850 degrees C and rapid thermal anneals at 1000 degrees C were conducted. The two kinds of EOR dislocation loops were found to ripen. They were faulted Frank dislocation loops and perfect prismatic dislocation loops. Their distribution profiles were found to be different from that of conventional Ostwald ripening for precipitates. The size distribution profile of faulted Frank dislocation loops can be fitted by a normal Gaussian probability function.