The effect of rapid thermal N{sub 2}O nitridation on the oxide/Si(100) interface structure
- Institute for Microstructural Sciences, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada)
- Telecom Microelectronics Centre, Northern Telecom Limited, Nepean, Ontario K2H 8V4 (Canada)
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford, California 94309-0210 (United States)
High-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to study the chemical nature and physical distribution of N in oxynitride films formed by rapid thermal N{sub 2}O processes (RTPs). High-resolution synchrotron Si 2{ital p} core level photoemission spectroscopy (PES) was used to study the oxide/Si(100) interface suboxide structures with and without the presence of N. XPS N 1{ital s} studies indicated that there are two types of N in the RTP oxynitride films. The chemical bond configuration of the first type of N is similar to that N in Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and is mainly distributed within the first 1 nm from the interface. The second type of N is distributed mainly outside of the first 1 nm region, and the N is likely bonded to two Si and one oxygen atom. PES studies showed that Si formed suboxides with oxygen at the interface for all oxynitride films. It is found that there is no change in the Si{sup +1} structure while there is a dramatic intensity decrease in the Si{sup +2} and Si{sup +3} peaks with the inclusion of N in the oxide. Both the XPS and PES results are explained in terms of a strain reduction as N is incorporated in the film near the interface region, where Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} functions as a buffer layer which reduces the stress caused by the large Si ``lattice`` mismatch between the bulk Si and the oxide overlayer. About 1/5 of the Si{sup +2} and 1/3 of Si{sup +3} atoms at the SiO{sub 2}/Si interface has been replaced by the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} buffer layer at the oxynitride/Si interface. {copyright} {ital 1995} {ital American} {ital Institute} {ital of} {ital Physics}.
- OSTI ID:
- 124277
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 67, Issue 19; Other Information: PBD: 6 Nov 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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