Characterising the surface roughness of AFM grown SiO2 on Si

The reliability of AFM grown SiO₂ as a gate oxide needs to be examined if nanodevices fabricated from the oxide are to be integrated into standard microelectronic technology. In this article we present our preliminary results on AFM fabrication and topographical characterisation of large area oxide, electrical characterisation is to follow. Roughness is the central issue of this work due to its importance in relation to the quality of ultra thin dielectrics.     

Tunneling of electrons from Si into thermally grown SiO2

Accurate measurements of electron tunneling at the SiSiO₂ interface were performed using the decay of surface potential following charging of the exposed oxide surface by positive corona ions. The surface potential was measured by an automated Kelvin-probe arrangement. Comparison of results for various substrate dopings, crystallographic orientations and oxide film thicknesses is presented. A model for tunneling based on electrons being confined within the lowest subband at the SiSiO₂ interface is also discussed and compared to the Fowler-Nordheim expression.     

Flat-field spectrograph in SiO2/Si

The operation of a flat-field spectrograph in silica glass on silicon (SiO₂/Si) as a demultiplexer with 4-nm channel spacing in the 1.5-μm waveguide length region is demonstrated. The concept allows fabrication tolerances to be compensated simultaneously with the adjustment of fan-out. Fiber-to-fiber insertion loss of 10.1 dB and crosstalk attenuation >15 dB have been achieved     

The doped Si/SiO2 interface

A study is reported of the influence of dopant atoms on the SiSiO₂ interface states of thermally oxidized silicon. It was found that acceptor or donor atoms induce interface states and oxide charges. The effect is largest in the case of acceptor dopants and is independent of the doping process. The influence of the dopant atoms on oxide charge is probably related to the different segregation coefficients of acceptors and donors.     

在SiO2中掺A1对Au／纳米（SiO2／Si／SiO2）／p—Si结构电致发光的影响

利用射频磁控溅射方法,制成纳米SiO2层厚度一定而纳米Si层厚度不同的纳米（SiO2/Si/SiO2）/p-Si结构和纳米（SiO2:A1/Si/SiO2:A1)/p-Si结构,用磁控溅射制备纳米SiO2:A1时所用的SiO2/A1复合靶中的A1的面积百分比为1%。上述两种结构中Si层厚度均为1-3nm,间隔为0.2nm。为了对比研究,还制备了Si层厚度为零的样品。这两种结构在900℃氮气下退火30min,正面蒸半透明Au膜,背面蒸A1作欧姆接触后,都在正向偏置下观察到电致发光（EL）。在一定的正向偏置下,EL强度和峰位以及电流都随Si层厚度的增加而同步振荡,位相相同。但掺A1结构的发光强度普遍比不掺A1结构强。另外,这两种结构的EL具体振荡特性有明显不同,对这两种结构的电致发光的物理机制和SiO2中掺A1的作用进行了分析和讨论。     

Visible light emitting Si/SiO2 superlattices

Six-period superlattices of Si/SiO₂ have been grown at room temperature using molecular beam epitaxy. With this mature technology, the ultra-thin (1–3 nm) Si layers were grown to atomic layer precision. These layers were separated by 1 nm thick SiO₂ layers whose thickness was also well controlled by using a rate-limited oxidation process. The chemical and physical structures of the multilayers were characterized by cross-sectional TEM, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Auger sputter-profile, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The analysis showed that the Si layer is free of impurities and is amorphous, and that the SiO₂/Si interface is sharp (0.5 nm). Photoluminescence (PL) measurements were made at room temperature using 457.9 nm excitation. The PL peak occurred at wavelengths across the visible range for these multilayers. The peak energy position E was found to be related to the Si layer thickness d by E (eV) = 1.60+0.72d⁻² in accordance with a quantum confinement mechanism and the bulk amorphous-Si band gap.     

An epitaxial Si/SiO2 superlattice barrier

An epitaxial strain layer Si/SiO₂ superlattice barrier (SLSB) for silicon formed by monolayers of adsorbed oxygen, sandwiched between adjacent thin silicon layers deposited with molecular beam, showed good epitaxy with an effective barrier height of 1.7 eV. Such a barrier should be important for future quantum devices in silicon, as well as new applications in conventional MOS technology.     

Interface states in SiSiO2 interfaces

Interface state parameters were studied in MOS capacitors over a wide range of energy by conductance and capacitance measurements at various temperatures from room temperature to liquid nitrogen temperature. A new technique was developed for analysis of the data which allows to obtain the density of states, the capture cross section, the surface potential and the dispersion parameter from the conductance and capacitance vs. frequency curves. The density of interface states as well as the electron capture cross section were found to be a function of energy only and to be independent of temperature. Maxima in the density of states have not been found.     

Laser-induced self-organization of nano-wires on SiO2/Si interface

Original observation of new graded band gap structures formed on the surface of elementary Si semiconductor at studying the optical properties of Si nano-hills formed at the SiO₂/Si interface by pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation is reported. The self-organized nano-hills on Si surface are characterized by a strong photoluminescence in the visible range of spectrum with a shoulder extended to the long-wave part of the spectrum. The feature is explained by the quantum confinement effect in nano-hills-nano-wires of gradually changing diameter.     

Effect of SiO2/Si interface roughness on gate current

In many theoretical investigations of the electric-tunnel effect through an ultrathin oxide in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structure, it is commonly assumed that the oxide is of uniform thickness. One example of nonuniformity in oxides is interface roughness. Interface roughness effects on direct tunneling current in ultrathin MOS structures are investigated theoretically in this article. The roughness at SiO₂/Si interface is described in terms of Gauss distribution. It is shown that the transmission coefficient increases with root-mean-square (rms) roughness increasing, and the effect of rms roughness on the direct tunneling current decreases with the applied voltage increasing and increases with rms roughness increasing.     

采用界面薄层氧化硅的硅片直接键合技术研究

本文研究了采用界面薄层氧化硅的硅片直接键合技术。利用原子力显微镜（AFM）和剪切力测试分别表征表面粗糙度和键合强度随着薄层氧化硅厚度的变化情况。对比了采用热氧化和等离子体增强化学气相沉积法（PECVD）两种方法对晶片粗糙度及键合强度的影响。结果表明采用热氧化和PECVD沉积薄层氧化硅做硅片直接键合,键合强度分别可以达到18MPa和8MPa,键合强度随着薄层界面氧化硅厚度的增加而下降,这对于MEMS器件制备及其他硅片直接键合的应用都具有十分重要的指导意义。     

Temperature dependent resistivity of platinum-carbon composite nanowires grown by focused ion beam on SiO2/Si substrate

Experimental studies of the temperature dependent resistivity of platinum nanowires grown on an oxidised silicon wafer by using focused ion beam (FIB) have been made. A series of 4-terminal resistivity measurements were carried out in the temperature range 50-300 K on single nanowires of width and thickness ∼100 nm grown by decomposition of an organometallic precursor using Ga⁺ ions of different accelerating voltages from 10 keV to 30 keV. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed the nanowires to be composed of more than 60% by volume of carbon, the remainder being principally platinum and gallium. The exact composition depends on the accelerating voltage of the ions used. There is clear evidence from cross-sectional microscopy that the material is a composite consisting of a metallic phase present in the form of nanoscale clusters, randomly distributed in a matrix of carbon. Electrical measurements are consistent with this, showing a critical volume concentration for conduction, which is typical of electron transport in composites with percolating metal phase. Results show an unexpectedly high sensitivity of the temperature dependence of resistivity near the critical volume concentration, which has been explained to arise from thermal strain effects. The anomalous temperature/strain effects observed in this investigation might be exploited in temperature measurement and strain sensor applications.     

Electroluminescence from Au/Si/SiO2/p-Si structure

Si/SiO₂ films have been grown using the two-target alternation magnetron sputtering technique. The thickness of the SiO₂ layer in all the films was 8 nm and that of the Si layer in five types of the films ranged from 4 to 20 nm in steps of 4 nm. Visible electroluminescence (EL) has been observed from the Au/Si/SiO₂/p-Si structures at a forward bias of 5 V or larger. A broad band with one peak 650–660 nm appears in all the EL spectra of the structures. The effects of the thickness of the Si layer in the Si/SiO₂ films and of input electrical power on the EL spectra are studied systematically.     

Effect of implantation and annealing conditions on the photoluminescence emission of Si nanocrystals ion beam synthesised in SiO2

In this article, we present a systematic study of the evolution of photoluminescence (PL) emission of Si nanocrystals with elaboration conditions. Si nanocrystals synthesised in SiO₂ by ion implantation and annealing at 1100°C show a wide (0.3 eV) and a very intense PL emission centred at 1.5–1.7 eV, linked to the presence of the nanocrystals. The intensity of this emission shows a typical behaviour with the annealing time, with a fast transitory increase to reach an asymptotical saturation. There is a linear increase of the PL intensity at saturation with the dose. Two regimes are clearly observed for the evolution of the PL energy position as a function of the annealing time for different peak supersaturations (s): (i) for s<5%, there is a decrease transient followed by a saturation state of the maximum peak energy, and (ii) for s5% the PL energy presents an increase transient followed by a saturation state.     

Determination of Si/SiO2 interface roughness using weaklocalization

The interface roughness of intentionally textured Si/SiO₂ interfaces was measured using the quantum weak localization (WL) correction to the electrical conductivity at low temperatures. The deduced roughness was confirmed by observation of the Si surface replicas by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Quantitative agreement between the two methods was found (Δ=1.2 to 1.4 Å from WL and 1.35 Å from AFM). For a surface with artificially induced texture, it is found that WL can easily distinguish a significant increase in roughness relative to the smooth surfaces. AFM confirms this qualitative conclusion     

Improved reliability of NO-nitrided SiO2 grown on p-type4H-SiC

This letter demonstrates that the reliability of oxides grown on p-type 4H-SiC can be dramatically improved by NO nitridation. High field (-8 Mv/cm) room-temperature stressing and high-temperature negative-bias (250°C, -4 MV/cm) testing were used to investigate the reliability of NO nitrided oxides. Relatively small changes in the flat-band voltage, interface-trap density and leakage current were observed after 5000 s in the case of NO nitrided oxides, while shorter stressing shifted these parameters dramatically in the case of N annealed control samples     

SOI planar photonic crystal fabrication: Etching through SiO2/Si/SiO2 layer systems using fluorocarbon plasmas

Dry plasma etching of sub-micron structures in a SiO₂/Si/SiO₂ layer system using Cr as a mask was performed in a fluorocarbon plasma. It was determined that the best anisotropy could be achieved in the most electropositive plasma. A gas composition yielding the desired SOI planar photonic crystal structures was optimized from the available process gases, Ar, He, O₂, SF₆, CF₄, c-C₄F₈, CHF₃, using DC bias data sets. Application of the c-C₄F₈/(noble gas) chemistry allowed fabrication of the desired SOI planar photonic crystal. The average etching rates for the pores and ridge waveguide regions were about 71 and 97 nm/min, respectively, while the average SiO₂/Si/SiO₂ to Cr etching selectivity for the ridge waveguide region was about 33:1 in case of the c-C₄F₈/90%Ar plasma with optimized parameters.     

Charge storage peculiarities in poly-Si–SiO2–Si memory devices with Si nanocrystals rich SiO2

The paper focuses on the study of charge trapping processes in non-volatile memory metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) structures with Si nanocrystal floating gate formed by Si ion implantation. Careful electrical studies of the MOS structures based on the analysis of the capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics during pulse charge injection in the oxide enabled the distinguishing of the electron emission from the nanoclusters and the charge trapping in structural defects of the dioxide matrix. The trapping model is discussed.     

Surface charge and stress in the Si/SiO2 system

A model for the stress distribution in thermally oxidised silicon slices has been developed using beam theory and bimetallic strip theory. The stresses have been confirmed by making lattice parameter measurements on oxidised silicon using the APEX X-ray diffraction technique. The often suggested relationship between the surface charge density at the Si/SiO₂ interface and the stress in the silicon surface has been investigated and shown to be inconsistent. Finally, analysis of the variation of surface charge density with oxide thickness has caused us to postulate the presence of both positively and negatively charged centres at the interface.     

Interfacial properties and reliability of SiO2 grown on 6H-SiC in dry O2 plus trichloroethylene

A new process of growing SiO₂ on n- and p-type 6H-SiC wafers in dry O₂ + trichloroethylene (TCE) was investigated. The interface quality and reliability of 6H-SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors with gate dielectrics prepared by the process were examined. As compared to conventional dry O₂ oxidation, the O₂ + TCE oxidation resulted in lower interface-state, border-trap and oxide-charge densities, and enhanced reliability. This could be attributed to the passivation effect of Cl₂ or HCl on structural defects at/near the SiC/SiO₂ interface, and the gettering effect of Cl₂ or HCl on ion contamination. In addition, increased oxidation rate was observed in the O₂ + TCE ambient, and can be used to reduce the normally-high thermal budget for oxide growth. All these are very attractive for fabricating SiC MOS field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) with high inversion-channel mobility and high hot-carrier reliability.