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Investigation of Oxidation Process of Ultrathin Amorphous and/or Nano-Crystalline Silicon Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

R. Mu
Affiliation:
Chemical Physics Lab., Department of Physics, Fisk University, Nashville TN 37208, USA
M. Wu
Affiliation:
Chemical Physics Lab., Department of Physics, Fisk University, Nashville TN 37208, USA
Y.C. Liu
Affiliation:
Open Laboratory of Excited State Processes, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanism and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130021, People's Republic of China.
A. Ueda
Affiliation:
Chemical Physics Lab., Department of Physics, Fisk University, Nashville TN 37208, USA
D.O. Henderson
Affiliation:
Chemical Physics Lab., Department of Physics, Fisk University, Nashville TN 37208, USA
A. B. Hmelo
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
L.C. Feldman
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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Abstract

A series experiments were conducted and reported here on how to employ quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) as a highly mass sensitive sensor to study a-Si film and Si nanocrystals oxidation under ambient oxygen. An experimental calibration procedure has been developed to prevent problems with QCM systems during routine study. With the help of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique, one can purposely deposit a thin layer of a heavy element as an insitu calibrant which can be analyzed by RBS quantitatively for QCM. The errors resulted from manufacture's sensor, non-repeatable sensor mounting and handling, temperature cycling history from run to run and so on will be effectively eliminated. Our preliminary results indicate that the oxidation process of a-Si thin films has two stages. A fast oxidation associated with surface and near surface oxidation followed by a slow oxidation. The former is depends on the oxygen vapor pressure in the chamber and the later is oxygen diffusion controlled process.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

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