Low Temperature Oxidation of Silicon in a Microwave‐Discharged Oxygen Plasma

Abstract

Silicon dioxide growth in an oxygen plasma is investigated using newly developed microwave discharge equipment with electron cyclotron resonance. It is found that the plasma oxidation kinetics can be explained by the Cabrera‐Mott model, in which the drift motion of ions is assumed, rather than by the Deal‐Grove thermal oxidation model. The drift motion of oxygen ions across the oxide film under the influence of self‐bias in the plasma is considered to be the plasma oxidation mechanism. Infrared absorption and etch‐rate measurements reveal that the physical properties of plasma oxidized at 600°C are structurally quite comparable to those of thermally oxidized .