Growth characterization of rapid thermal oxides

Abstract

Articles you may be interested inCharacteristics of ultrathin SiO 2 films using dry rapid thermal oxidation and Pt catalyzed wet oxidationThe results of a rapid thermal oxide ͑RTO͒ growth study involving 200 mm Si wafers oxidized in three different oxidation ambients ͑O 2 , N 2 O, and NO͒ at two different pressures ͑100 and 760 Torr͒, and a wide range of oxidation temperatures ͑950-1200°C͒ and times ͑0-480 s͒ are presented in this work. The variable power law is shown to provide an excellent fit to the characteristics. Enhancement in the O 2 RTO over furnace oxidation ͑FO͒ growth rates, continued growth in N 2 O RTO, and growth saturation in NO RTO were observed. Anomalies including higher growth rates at a lower pressure in N 2 O, higher growth rates at lower temperatures and at a lower pressure in NO, as well as higher growth rates in N 2 O and NO than in O 2 were observed. They may be attributable to the competition between the N incorporation rate and the oxide growth rate for predominance, which might in turn be dependent on the temperature, pressure, thickness of and defect density in the initial oxide layer and the amount of N already incorporated. The growth kinetics exhibit Arrhenius relationships. Those for O 2 RTO, O 2 FO, and low pressure N 2 O RTO are similar while those for N 2 O RTO, N 2 O FO, and NO RTO are different. Our results suggest the oxide thickness range within which the oxidation is reaction limited decreases in the order of O 2 RTO, N 2 O RTO, and NO RTO.