TY - JOUR
T1 - Improvement on properties and reliability of ultra-thin silicon oxide (3-5 nm) grown by microwave plasma afterglow at the low temperatures using mixtures of N2O and O2
AU - Leu, C. W.
AU - Hu, Shu-Fen
AU - Chen, P. C.
AU - Hwang, H. L.
PY - 1999/1/1
Y1 - 1999/1/1
N2 - Ultra-thin silicon oxides (4 nm) with excellent quality were grown by using mixture of N2O and O2 plasma in a microwave afterglow plasma oxidation system. The electrical breakdown fields of oxide grown with a mixture of N2O and O2 plasma are comparable with that of conventional thermally grown oxides. The interface state densities are lower and charge to breakdown are higher than that of oxide grown in traditional thermal furnace. The optimal interface state density (approx. 3 × 1010 cm-2 eV-1) could be achieved by tuning the N2O/O2 ratio. The oxides grown with a lower microwave power and a lower gas flow rate possess lower interface state density. Higher value of charge to breakdown could be found in oxides grown at low gas flow rate. Resistance to tunneling current stress increased as the ratio of N2O/O2 in plasma is higher. All these improvements could be attributed to the incorporation of nitrogen into oxides grown at lower temperatures in our novel system.
AB - Ultra-thin silicon oxides (4 nm) with excellent quality were grown by using mixture of N2O and O2 plasma in a microwave afterglow plasma oxidation system. The electrical breakdown fields of oxide grown with a mixture of N2O and O2 plasma are comparable with that of conventional thermally grown oxides. The interface state densities are lower and charge to breakdown are higher than that of oxide grown in traditional thermal furnace. The optimal interface state density (approx. 3 × 1010 cm-2 eV-1) could be achieved by tuning the N2O/O2 ratio. The oxides grown with a lower microwave power and a lower gas flow rate possess lower interface state density. Higher value of charge to breakdown could be found in oxides grown at low gas flow rate. Resistance to tunneling current stress increased as the ratio of N2O/O2 in plasma is higher. All these improvements could be attributed to the incorporation of nitrogen into oxides grown at lower temperatures in our novel system.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0169-4332(98)00641-2
DO - 10.1016/S0169-4332(98)00641-2
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:0032628452
VL - 142
SP - 322
EP - 326
JO - Applied Surface Science
JF - Applied Surface Science
SN - 0169-4332
IS - 1
T2 - Proceedings of the 1998 9th International Conference on Solid Films and Surfaces, ICSFS-9
Y2 - 6 July 1998 through 10 July 1998
ER -