Synchrotron Radiation-Assisted Removal of Oxygen and Carbon Contaminants from a Silicon Surface

Abstract
A silicon dioxide film was etched by synchrotron radiation (SR) irradiation at a substrate temperature of about 500°C. The obtained etching rate was 13 nm/h and the activation energy approximately 1.2 eV. This process was applied to remove surface contaminants on a silicon surface. Oxygen and carbon contaminants in the SR-irradiated area decreased by about 1/3 and 1/10, respectively, indicating that SR irradiation is effective for surface cleaning. A sharp peak in Raman spectrum appeared when a silicon film was deposited after SR irradiation. Thus, the pre-irradiation by SR improves the crystal quality of the deposited film.