Auger analysis of ultrathin SiO2 layers on silicon

The Auger LVV lines of ultrathin SiO2 layers thermally grown on Si are analyzed by comparing the measured lines with lines synthesized from standard SiO2 and Si lines. The synthesized lines were corrected for ion and electron beam effects and charging. The synthesis technique provides quantitative interpretation of the Auger lines in the interfacial region. An apparent thickness‐dependent transition region is observed which can be explained as either a graded SiO2‐Si region or as an abrupt SiO2‐Si transition with a nonuniformly thick oxide. The latter is the more probable.

[1]  W. Spicer,et al.  Phase separation in silicon oxides as seen by Auger electron spectroscopy , 1975 .

[2]  S. Pantelides.  Some properties of the oxides of the tetrahedral semiconductors and the oxide–semiconductor interfacesa) , 1977 .

[3]  R. L. Tapping,et al.  An ESCA Study of the Oxide at the Si ‐ SiO2 Interface , 1975 .

[4]  A. Kipperman,et al.  Improved efficiency of MIS‐silicon solar cells by HF treatment of the oxide layer , 1976 .

[5]  W. Spicer,et al.  An Auger analysis of the SiO2‐Si interface , 1976 .

[6]  A. Goodman,et al.  Low‐energy ion‐scattering spectrometry (ISS) of the SiO2/Si interface , 1975 .

[7]  P. Offermann.  Thickness evaluation of Si/SiO2 interfaces by He‐backscattering experiments , 1977 .

[8]  A. Goodman,et al.  Thin Tunnelable Layers of Silicon Dioxide Formed by Oxidation of Silicon , 1970 .

[9]  M. S. Abrahams,et al.  The Si/SiO2 interface examined by cross‐sectional transmission electron microscopy , 1977 .

[10]  T. Distefano.  Field dependent internal photoemission probe of the electronic structure of the Si–SiO2 interface , 1976 .

[11]  J. Shewchun,et al.  Theory of metal‐insulator‐semiconductor solar cells , 1977 .

[12]  F. P. Fehlner.  Formation of Ultrathin Oxide Films on Silicon , 1972 .

[13]  M. Palmer,et al.  Oxide Growth on Etched Silicon in Air at Room Temperature , 1975 .

[14]  J. Maserjian,et al.  Abstract: Chemical structure of the transitional region of the SiO2–Si interface , 1978 .

[15]  G. A. Haas,et al.  Oxidation of Si surfaces , 1975 .

[16]  T. Sigmon,et al.  Stoichiometry of thin silicon oxide layers on silicon , 1974 .

[17]  John Shewchun,et al.  The operation of the semiconductor‐insulator‐semiconductor (SIS) solar cell: Theory , 1978 .

[18]  T. T. Sheng,et al.  A high‐resolution electron microscopy study of the Si‐SiO2 interface , 1978 .

[19]  S. I. Raider,et al.  Electron mean escape depths from x−ray photoelectron spectra of thermally oxidized silicon dioxide films on silicon , 1975 .

[20]  C. C. Chang,et al.  Structure and chemistry of silicon surfaces after pre- and backsputtering, studied with Auger spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and RHEED , 1973 .