Fabrication and Characterization of Boron-Implanted Silicon Superconducting Thin Films on SOI Substrates for Low-Temperature Detectors

• Published in: Journal of low temperature physics Vol. 216; no. 1-2; pp. 185 - 194
• Main Authors: Aliane, A., Dussopt, L., Kerdilès, S., Kaya, H., Acosta-Alba, P., Bernier, N., Papon, A.-M., Martinez, E., Veillerot, M., Lefloch, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 2024; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag (Germany)
• Subjects: Boron; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Critical temperature; Electrons; Impact analysis; Ion implantation; Laser beam annealing; Lasers; Low temperature; Magnetic Materials; Magnetism; Photoelectrons; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Polycrystals; Secondary ion mass spectrometry; Silicon; Silicon substrates; Superconductivity; Thickness; Thin films; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Thin films; Superconductors; Doped silicon; Ultra-violet nanosecond laser; Thin flms
• ISSN: 0022-2291; 1573-7357
• DOI: 10.1007/s10909-024-03122-0

In this paper, we discuss the characterization of boron-doped silicon superconducting thin films with a thickness of 70 nm made on silicon-on-insulator substrates by ion implantation and ultra-violet nanosecond laser annealing under nitrogen at atmospheric pressure. Two different ion-implanted doses of boron of 1 × 10 16 and 2.5 × 10 16  cm −2 at 3 keV were tested in the study. Single laser pulses with energy densities in the range of 0.3–1.1 J/cm 2 were applied to activate the boron species in the silicon. A transition from partially (monocrystalline) to fully-melted (polycrystalline) silicon is observed when increasing the laser energy density. The critical temperature ( T c ) and the upper critical magnetic field ( B c2 ) were measured for different samples. A maximum T c of 100 mK was obtained in the monocrystalline phase of the silicon just before the transition into the polycrystalline phase. An obvious impact of the doping level and laser annealing energy density on the T c values was observed. Different morphological and physical characterizations such as transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry were performed and analyzed in order to compare the samples.