Annealing induced phosphorus protrusion into thin-oxide films from heavily phosphorus-doped silicon (100)

• Published in: Thin solid films 2008-02, Vol.516 (8), p.1788-1795
• Main Authors: Sano, Yuichi, Ying, W.B., Kamiura, Yoshitomo, Mizokawa, Yusuke
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AES; AFM; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Defects and impurities: doping, implantation, distribution, concentration, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Heavily phosphorus doped Si; Phosphorus protrusion; Physics; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; XPS
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2007.07.187

Phosphorus (P) protrusion into thin-oxide film from heavily P-doped Si (100) upon annealing was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscope (AFM). After annealing at 750 °C, the P was segregated at the SiO 2/Si interface and its concentration decayed exponentially toward both the thin-oxide film and the substrate. The chemical state of protruded-P in the oxide was nearly elemental. After annealing, the AFM images of the sample surface showed that some of the plateaus grew in height while maintaining their lateral shape. The total increment volume of the grown plateaus corresponded roughly to the volume of protruded-P in the oxide film estimated by XPS.