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Title: Band offsets for ultrathin SiO[sub 2] and Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] films on Si(111) and Si(100) from photoemission spectroscopy. [SiO[sub 2]; Si[sub 3]N[sub 4]]

Conference · · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena
OSTI ID:6303979
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8202 (United States) National Research Council Postdoctoral Associate at the Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-2211 (United States)
  2. Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8202 (United States) Physics and Astronomy Department and Laboratory for Surface Modification, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08855-0849 (United States) Physics Division, Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-2211 (United States)
  3. Physics and Astronomy Department and Laboratory for Surface Modification, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08855-0849 (United States)
  4. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8202 (United States)
  5. Physics and Astronomy Department an

High resolution soft x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation is used to study the interfaces of SiO[sub 2]/Si(111), SiO[sub 2]/Si(100), Si(111)/Si[sub 3]N[sub 4], and SiO[sub 2]/Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] for device-quality ultrathin gate oxides and nitrides. The thin oxides and nitrides were grown by remote plasma deposition at a temperature of 300 hthinsp;[degree]C. Aftergrowth samples were further processed by rapid thermal annealing for 30 hthinsp;s at various temperatures from 700 to 950 hthinsp;[degree]C. The Si(111)/Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] samples were air exposed and formed a thin [approximately]6 [Angstrom] SiO[sub 2] layer with a Si(2p) core-level shift of 3.9 eV, thus allowing us to study both the Si(111)/Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] and SiO[sub 2]/Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] interfaces with a single type of sample. We obtain band offsets of 4.54[plus minus]0.06 eV for SiO[sub 2]/Si(111) and 4.35[plus minus]0.06 eV for SiO[sub 2]/Si(100) with film thicknesses in the range 8[endash]12 [Angstrom]. The Si(111)/Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] nitrides show 1.78[plus minus]0.09 eV valence-band offset for 15[endash]21 [Angstrom] films. This value agrees using the additivity relationship with our independent photoemission measurements of the nitride[endash]oxide valence-band offset of 2.66[plus minus]0.14 eV. However, we measure a substantially larger SiO[sub 2]/Si[sub 3]N[sub 4] [Delta]E[sub V] value of 3.05 eV for thicker ([approximately]60 [Angstrom]) films, and this indicates substantial differences in core-hole screening for films of different thickness due to additional silicon substrate screening in the thinner (15[endash]21 [Angstrom]) films. [copyright] [ital 1999 American Vacuum Society.]

OSTI ID:
6303979
Report Number(s):
CONF-990138-; CODEN: JVTBD9
Journal Information:
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena, Vol. 17:4; ISSN 0734-211X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English