Gas Fusion Analysis of Oxygen in Silicon: Separation of Components

Abstract

An investigation is reported into the origins of the oxygen evolutions observed in gas fusion analysis of oxygen in silicon. Oxygen evolution arising from surface contamination, surface oxide, and bulk oxygen have been identified. By maintaining the samples slightly below the melting temperature for 60s prior to melting, it was found that surface contaminants and oxide could be largely driven off and thereby separated from the bulk oxygen signal. However, a small component of surface oxide was found to carry over into the melting stage. Some instrumental causes for this carry over have been ruled out leaving as a possible explanation a highly stable oxygen containing surface phase.