Composition and structure of native oxide on silicon by high resolution analytical electron microscopy
- Center for Solid State Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1704 (USA)
Compositional analysis of thin nanoscale native oxide films formed on {l brace}001{r brace} silicon wafer surfaces at room temperature was done with an electron energy loss spectrometer coupled to an analytical electron microscope having a field emission source, with better than 4 nm spatial resolution. The electron energy loss spectra show a shift in the threshold onset energy of the Si-L edge of the native oxide from {similar to}99 eV loss corresponding to pure elemental silicon to {similar to}105 eV loss, and elemental analysis using the ionization regions of the core loss edges showed the composition to be SiO, within a few percent. Microdiffraction and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) results showed that the native oxide was completely amorphous, and did not contain detectable nanocrystals. The native oxide can be removed from the Si surface by heating in UHV for a short time at 1000 {degree}C. However, this procedure resulted in the formation of small amounts of a crystalline phase on the Si wafer surface, which was shown to be {beta}-SiC by the same methods.
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-87ER45305
- OSTI ID:
- 6925126
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Materials Research; (USA), Vol. 5:2; ISSN 0884-2914
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
OXIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
SILICON
OXIDATION
AIR
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELECTRON SOURCES
ELECTRON SPECTROMETERS
ENERGY LOSSES
FIELD EMISSION
HEATING
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
SILICON CARBIDES
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
SURFACE CLEANING
THIN FILMS
THRESHOLD ENERGY
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CLEANING
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
ENERGY
FILMS
FLUIDS
GASES
LOSSES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MICROSCOPY
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SOURCES
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIATIONS
RESOLUTION
SEMIMETALS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SPECTROMETERS
SURFACE FINISHING
360604* - Materials- Corrosion
Erosion
& Degradation