SiO diffusion during thermal decomposition of SiO2

Chemically prepared thin oxide films were decomposed in an ultrahigh vacuum at temperatures of between 760 and 850 °C. By measuring the remaining oxide thickness as a function of time we could extract the diffusion coefficient of SiO in SiO2. This was determined to be D(cm2/s)=1.48×10−3exp(−3.2 eV/kT). The results are discussed in respect to an appropriate heat cleaning of wafers in a Si‐molecular‐beam epitaxial system.