Both morphology and chemical structure of heavily phosphorus-doped Si(100) samples were examined by using atomic force microscope (AFM) together with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy. The sample-A and sample-B were prepared by predeposition of POCl3 at 980°C and 910°C, respectively. The AFM images of sample-A showed unique shape like a crater in all over the wafer. The density of crater decreased from the center to the edge of the wafer, while accompanying an increase in the depth of crater. The whole morphology including the crater morphology became very smooth after heating treatment at 1000°C. The sample-B also exhibited another very unique geometrical AFM image with no crater pattern in all over the wafer. After heating treatment at 750°C, although the whole pattern did not change drastically, it was observed that the crater pattern appeared in the limited part. The difference of the surface morphology between sample-A and sample-B might be related with the processing temperature during the POCl3 deposition.
