Stepwise Growth of Ultrathin SiO<i>_x</i> Films on Si(100) Surfaces through Sequential Adsorption/Oxidation Cycles of Alkylsiloxane Monolayers

Abstract

A novel procedure for a controlled monolayer growth of silicon oxide films on silicon substrates is presented. It is based on a binary A−B reaction sequence involving the formation of an alkylsiloxane monolayer through self-assembling from solution (step A) followed by UV/ozone oxidation of the hydrocarbon groups (step B). Repeated application of this A−B cycle results in a layer-by-layer growth of the oxide film with a strictly linear thickness increase of 2.7 Å per cycle, as evidenced by ellipsometry and infrared reflection spectroscopy.