A high-resolution electron microscopy study of the Si-SiO2 interface

Abstract
We have studied the Si‐SiO2 interface of a Si‐MOSFET (metal‐oxide‐semiconductor field‐effect transistor) on a (911) surface by high‐resolution electron microscopy. The interface was viewed edge‐on parallel to [011̄] and the Si crystal lattice was directly resolved. The image shows the interface to be smooth to within 4 Å and contains a possible indication of a transition layer (∼10 Å) of nonstoichiometric oxides.