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On the Mechanism of Ultra Thin Silicon Oxide Film Growth During Thermal Oxidation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

E.P. Gusev
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, and Laboratory for Surface Modification, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08855. Department of Molecular Physics, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Kashirskoe shosse 31, Moscow 115409, Russia.
H.C. Lu
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, and Laboratory for Surface Modification, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08855.
T. Gustafsson
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, and Laboratory for Surface Modification, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08855.
E. Garfunkel
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, and Laboratory for Surface Modification, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08855.
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Abstract

The growth of ultra-thin oxide films by the thermal oxidation of silicon has been studied by low and medium energy ion scattering spectroscopies (LEIS and MEIS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). To help elucidate the diffusional and mechanistic aspects of oxide growth we have used sequential isotope oxidation (18O2 followed by 16O2). LEIS demonstrates that both 18O and 16O atoms are on the silicon surface under our growth conditions. MEIS also distinguishes 18O from 16O and gives a depth distribution for both with high accuracy. Our results show that several key aspects of the Deal-Grove model (oxygen diffusion to the Si-SiO2 interface and oxide formation at the interface) are consistent with our results for 50Å films. For very thin oxide films (15Å or less), we found a mixed isotopic distribution in the film, demonstrating more complex oxidation behavior.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1994

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