Enhanced Thermal Oxidation of Silicon by UV-Irradiation

Abstract

Silicon can be thermally oxidized at low temperatures under dry O 2 or N 2 O flow with UV-irradiation. The oxide thickness is about 9.0 nm in 4 h at 500°C on dry O 2 +UV oxidation. The oxide formed by dry O 2 +UV is thicker than that formed by N 2 O+UV at a relatively long oxidation time. The main oxidation species are ozone for dry O 2 +UV and excited-state 1 D oxygen atoms for N 2 O+UV. The quality of oxide film formed by dry O 2 +UV is equal to that formed by common oxidation in dry O 2 without UV.