X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study on SiO2/Si interface structures formed by three kinds of atomic oxygen at 300 °C

Abstract

Using the high-brilliant synchrotron radiation at SPring-8 we have studied the SiO2/Si interface structures, the interface state densities, and the uniformities of ∼1-nm-thick oxide films formed by three kinds of atomic oxygen at 300 °C by measuring Si 2p photoelectron spectra at the photon energy of 1050 eV and the energy loss spectra of O 1s photoelectrons at the photon energy of 714 eV. Among silicon oxide films studied here the abrupt compositional transition at SiO2/Si interface, the smallest deviation in interface state density, the interface state density comparable to that for thermal oxide formed in dry oxygen at 950 °C, and the highest uniformity was obtained with oxide film formed in krypton-mixed oxygen (Kr:O2=97:3) plasma.