Plasma density dependence of the oxidation rate of Si by in situ during process rapid ellipsometry

Abstract
Oxidation of silicon in a radio frequency discharge oxygen plasma was studied using in situ during process rapid ellipsometry (1 s resolution and interval). Plasma characteristics were also determined by the Langmuir probe method and emission spectroscopy. From the measurement of in situ during process rapid ellipsometry, oxidized film thickness of silicon increased steeply right after starting rf discharge and slowly after ≊3000 s. It was found that thickness change rate measured by in situ during process rapid ellipsometry immediately after starting the rf discharge was strongly proportional to O2+ ions density.