Si-SiO2 interface characterization from angular dependence of x-ray photoelectron spectra

Abstract

The Si-SiO2 interface is studied by using ESCA. The sample is a very thin oxide film (0.91 nm thick) on Si substrate. The angular dependence of the Si2p spectrum is measured. The Si2p spectrum is composed of SiSi2p photoelectrons emitted from the Si substrate, Six2p photoelectrons emitted from the transition region at the Si-SiO2 interface, and SiSiO22p photoelectrons emitted from SiO2 film. It is concluded that the chemical shift for Si atoms in the transition region is 1.6 eV (this value is about one-half of that of SiO2), and that the thickness of the transition region is 0.2–0.3 nm.