Vacuum-ultraviolet-induced charge depletion in plasma-charged patterned-dielectric wafers
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Plasma Processing and Technology Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)
- Stanford Nanofabrication Facility, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94303 (United States)
Plasma-induced charging of patterned-dielectric structures during device fabrication can cause structural and electrical damage to devices. In this work, we report on vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) radiation-induced charge depletion in plasma-charged patterned-silicon-oxide dielectric wafers. Charge depletion is studied as a function of photon energy and the aspect ratio of hole structures. The wafers were charged in a plasma and subsequently exposed to monochromatic-synchrotron-VUV. Surface-potential measurements after VUV exposure showed that photon energies less than 11 eV were beneficial in depleting the plasma-induced charge from the patterned-dielectric wafers. In addition, for a given photon-flux density and for photon energies less than 11 eV, VUV-induced charge depletion decreases with increasing hole aspect ratio. The results are explained with a physically plausible equivalent-circuit model, which suggests that both electron photoinjection from Si into the oxide and oxide surface conductivity play an important role in the charge-depletion process.
- OSTI ID:
- 21190055
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 105; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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