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Title: Electronic states on silicon surface after deposition and annealing of SiO{sub x} films

Journal Article · · Semiconductors
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  1. National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of Semiconductor Physics (Ukraine)

The spectrum of the photoconductivity induced by the polarization field of charges at surface states and traps in the film bulk has been analyzed to determine the energy band diagram at the c-Si-SiO{sub x} interface and the changes in the electronic states after the film annealing. It is found that the energy bands are bent at the Si-SiO{sub x} interface and the Si surface is enriched in electrons. In equilibrium the photocurrent peak at 1.1 eV is due to the band-to-band transitions in the silicon part of the interface. Annealing shifts the peak to higher energies; this shift increases with an increase in the annealing temperature from 650 to 1000 Degree-Sign C. This effect is accompanied by a decrease in the photocurrent at {<=}1.1 eV and weakening of the band-edge photoluminescence near the Si surface. The changes revealed are explained by the formation of an oxide layer with Si nanoclusters at the Si-SiO{sub x} interface upon annealing. This process is caused by oxygen diffusion from the SiO{sub x} film, which occurs mainly via defects on the Si wafer surface. The photoconductivity spectrum of the samples charged by short-term application of a negative potential to silicon exhibits electronic transitions in the SiO{sub x} film, both from the matrix electronic states and from the states of the defects and Si nanoclusters in the film.

OSTI ID:
22004802
Journal Information:
Semiconductors, Vol. 45, Issue 5; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2011 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7826
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English