Stoichiometry reversal in the growth of thin oxynitride films on Si(100) surfaces

Journal Article · Thu Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 1995 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.360500· OSTI ID:124811

Sutherland, D G.J.; Akatsu, H; Copel, M; Himpsel, F J ^[1]; Callcott, T A ^[2]; Carlisle, J A ^[3]; Ederer, D L ^[4]; Jia, J J ^[5]; Jimenez, I ^[1]; Perera, R; Shuh, D K ^[5]; Terminello, L J ^[6]; Tong, W M ^[5]

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1. IBM, T. J. Watson Research Center, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States)
2. Department of Physics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States)
3. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, 94550 (United States)
4. Department of Physics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 (United States)
5. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
6. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

Synchrotron-based O 1{ital s} and N 1{ital s} photoabsorption spectroscopy, O 1{ital s}, N 1{ital s}, Si 2{ital p}, and valence-band photoelectron spectroscopy (PES), and medium energy ion scattering (MEIS) have been used to determine the composition and thickness of oxynitride films grown in N{sub 2}O on a Si(100) surface. Core-level photoabsorption spectroscopy is shown to be a very sensitive probe capable of measuring surface coverages lower than 0.1 monolayers of N (6.5{times}10{sup 13} N atoms/cm{sup 2}). Film composition was monitored as a function of growth to demonstrate the stoichiometry reversal from primarily N-terminated surfaces in thin films to nearly pure SiO{sub 2} in films thicker than {similar_to}20 A. A sample with a 60 A oxynitride film was depth profiled by etching in HF and was shown, via N 1{ital s} absorption spectroscopy, to have N segregation within 10 A above the Si/SiO{sub 2} interface. Core-level PES and MEIS were used to study the growth mechanisms of oxynitrides on Si(100) and these data were used to create a schematic phase diagram showing three distinct regions of oxide formation. A critical N{sub 2}O pressure was discovered at which oxide growth proceeds at over 1000 times its normal rate. {copyright} {ital 1995} {ital American} {ital Institute} {ital of} {ital Physics}.

• OSTI ID: 124811
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 78; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
GROWTH
INTERFACES
ION SCATTERING ANALYSIS
NITROUS OXIDE
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
SILICON
STOICHIOMETRY
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS
X-RAY SPECTRA