Effect of Magnetic Field on the Nanohardness of Monocrystalline Silicon and Its Mechanism

Abstract

The effect of magnetic field on the nanohardness of monocrystalline silicon doped with phosphorous by ion implantation is studied. It is found that a magnetic field of certain parameters can increase the nanohardness of monocrystalline silicon doped with phosphorous by ion implantation, and this increase can be eliminated by annealing monocrystalline silicon doped with phosphorous by ion implantation at 800°C for 780 s. For the monocrystalline silicon doped with phosphorous by ion implantations that have not been exposed to a magnetic field, annealing them at 800°C for 780 s cannot affect their nanohardness, but exposing them to the magnetic field mentioned previously can no longer affect their nanohardness after annealing. The mechanism of all these phenomena is discussed. A possible mechanism that a magnetic field can promote the disbanding of vacancy clusters, and a possible mechanism of magnetically stimulated clusters’ disbanding and magnetoplastic effect are put forward.