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Hydrogen Passivation of Si(100) by Remote Hydrogen Plasma Treatment
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Abstract
Hydrogen passivation of the Si(100) surface prepared by a two-stage remote hydrogen plasma treatment has been investigated using Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED). AES analysis was employed to examine the degree of passivation at different temperatures by monitoring the level of impurities, mainly oxygen and carbon, readsorbed on the Si surface after exposure to air for two hours. RHEED analysis was used to investigate the reconstructed surface structure and the results were correlated with the results of AES analysis. It was found that better Si surface passivation is achieved at a lower substrate temperature during the remote hydrogen plasma treatment. Silicon epitaxial growth by Remote Plasma-enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (RPCVD) was attempted on the H-passivated Si(100) at 305°C. It was found that epitaxial growth is achievable on these wafers even after 2 hours air exposure without further cleaning prior to growth. We have also observed for the first time electron-beam-induced oxygen adsorption on the Si surface prepared by remote hydrogen plasma clean and have confirmed this by Scanning Auger Microscopy (SAM) at various electron beam current densities. The adsorption of oxygen and carbon on the H-terminated Si surface from the ambient upon 3 keV electron beam irradiation is believed to be associated with either the breakage of the Si-H bond or rearrangement of bonding between Si, H, and O, resulting in a loss of hydrogen passivation.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 1991
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