Role of oxygen in defect-related breakdown in thin SiO2 films on Si (100)
- 1 May 1987
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Journal of Applied Physics
- Vol. 61 (9) , 4584-4588
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.338365
Abstract
The influence of annealing in vacuum and in controlled low‐pressure oxygen ambient on breakdown characteristics of thin (∼500 Å) SiO2 films on Si (100) has been studied under ultrahigh vacuum conditions for temperatures 750–900 °C and controlled O2 partial pressures in the range 10−6–5×10−2 Torr. Dark current‐voltage measurements on Al‐gate capacitors show that vacuum annealing causes low‐field self‐healing breakdown by the formation of local defects in the oxide. This degradation of breakdown characteristics is suppressed by the presence of sufficient O2 in the annealing ambient, such that the O2 partial pressure must exceed the SiO equilibrium partial pressure by a factor of ∼100×. This behavior suggests that low‐field breakdown is a consequence of oxide decomposition (Si+SiO2→2SiO↑) at defects in the oxide, which is suppressed by reoxidation of the volatile SiO reaction product.This publication has 22 references indexed in Scilit:
- Acceleration Factors for Thin Oxide BreakdownJournal of the Electrochemical Society, 1985
- High temperature annealing behavior of electron traps in thermal SiO2Solid-State Electronics, 1984
- Leakage and Breakdown in Thin Oxide Capacitors—Correlation with Decorated Stacking FaultsJournal of the Electrochemical Society, 1983
- Reaction of Oxygen with Si(111) and (100): Critical Conditions for the Growth of SiO2Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 1982
- Effects of Plasma Cleaning on the Dielectric Breakdown in SiO2 Film on SiJournal of the Electrochemical Society, 1982
- Oxidation of Silicon in the Presence of Chlorine and Chlorine CompoundsJournal of the Electrochemical Society, 1978
- Dielectric Breakdown Properties of SiO2 Films Grown in Halogen and Hydrogen‐Containing EnvironmentsJournal of the Electrochemical Society, 1974
- Dielectric Breakdown in Silicon Dioxide Films on SiliconJournal of the Electrochemical Society, 1972
- High-Temperature Annealing of Oxidized Silicon SurfacesJournal of the Electrochemical Society, 1971
- Fast Etching Imperfections in Silicon Dioxide FilmsJournal of the Electrochemical Society, 1966