Effect of SiO2 surface chemistry on the oxidation of silicon

We show that the retardation in the silicon oxidation rate associated with an ammonium hydroxide-hydrogen peroxide preclean is due to trace amounts of aluminum in the region of the SiO2 surface. This aluminum and the retarding effect can be eliminated by removing less than 50 Å of thermal oxide in a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics letters 1989-02, Vol.54 (8), p.715-717
Main Authors: DELARIOS, J. M, KAO, D. B, HELMS, C. R, DEAL, B. E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties
Exact sciences and technology
Mechanical and acoustical properties
adhesion
Physics
Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces
Solid-fluid interfaces
Surfaces and interfaces
thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties)
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We show that the retardation in the silicon oxidation rate associated with an ammonium hydroxide-hydrogen peroxide preclean is due to trace amounts of aluminum in the region of the SiO2 surface. This aluminum and the retarding effect can be eliminated by removing less than 50 Å of thermal oxide in a HF:H2O etch. Depositing thin films of aluminum with thicknesses between 0.05 and 1 monolayers (ML) on HF cleaned surfaces produced the same retardation as the NH4OH based cleans. These results indicate the importance of the SiO2 surface in silicon oxidation.
ISSN:0003-6951
1077-3118
DOI:10.1063/1.101469