Enhanced Secondary-Electron Detection of Single-Ion Implants in Silicon through Thin SiO<sub>2</sub> Layers.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41514484.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c05280 and PMC identifier 12833841.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Deterministic placement of single dopants is essential for scalable quantum devices based on Group V donors in silicon. We demonstrate a nondestructive, high-efficiency method for detecting individual ion implantation events using secondary electrons (SEs) in a focused-ion-beam system. Using low-energy Sb ions implanted into undoped silicon, we achieve up to 98 ± 1% single-ion detection efficiency (DE). We find that introducing thin, controlled SiO<sub>2</sub> capping layers enhances the SE yield, consistent with the increased electron mean-free path in the oxide, while maintaining successful ion deposition in the underlying silicon substrate. Our approach provides a robust and scalable route to precise donor placement and extends deterministic implantation strategies to a broad range of material systems and quantum device architectures.