A slab formed sample cut out from low doped Czochralski-grown silicon crystal was implanted with 3 MeV Ar ions to the dose 5 ´ 1014 cm-2 and thermally annealed in two step cycle at 400 C and 700 C. The crystal was characterized with a number of X-Ray diffraction methods exploring synchrotron source of radiation. The methods included white beam Bragg-case section and projection topography, plane wave topography and studying of local rocking curves with a small probe beam.

It was found that the performed annealing did not quite remove the lattice strain induced by the implantation. The residual strain caused the series of interference maxima on the low angle side of substrate maximum in the rocking curve. The rocking curves were different in different regions of the implanted area and together we observed characteristic fringes in plane wave topographs. These effects were most probably caused by unhomogeneity of the ion beam. The analysis of rocking curves including the numerical simulation points the existence of local strain profile maximum situated below the shot-through layer with a relatively small deformation. The Bragg-case section pattern of the implanted area revealed the presence of tiny defects situated at the depth corresponding to maximum of ion range distribution, which may be eventually interpreted as small dislocation loops formed from point defect clusters. The topographs revealed however a concentration of defects in the whole volume of the crystal that most probably are the oxygen precipitates formed during thermal annealing.