Native oxide film, characterization

Serebrennikova, L, S. Lee, and H.S. White. 2002. Visualization and characterization of electroactive defects in the native oxide film on aluminum. Faraday Discussions 121 (Dynamic Electrode Surface), 199. 

In recent development of the semiconductor industries, thermal oxide film thickness of less than 5 nm has been used in semiconductor devices such as metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures. Thickness of less than 5 nm is almost near the thickness of a native oxide film on the surface of silicon wafer. Therefore the characterization of ultra thin native oxide film is important in the semiconductor process technology. The secondary electron microscopy (SEM), the scanning Auger electron microscopy (SAM), the atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) might be the useful characterization method for the surface of the silicon wafers. 

A number of works have been performed about the thickness estimation of native oxide film on a silicon wafers by using XPS, and obtained good results to characterize the raw surface of the silicon wafers (1-2). However, XPS is an analytical method which is applicable to a relatively large area, due to the primary X-ray probe cannot focus on a small spot. Therefore a micrometer-scale structure... 

The specimens were heated by electrical resistance heating. Prior to treating, the sp>ecimens were soaked in concentrated HCl (2 M) solution for 15 minutes duration with the purpwse to remove the native oxide film that commonly forms on austenitic stainless steel and protects the metal matrix from corrosion. This oxide layer is believed to act as a barrier for diffusional nitrogen transport (Rie, 1996). After thermochemical treatments, the sp>ecimens were quenched in water. The treated sp>ecimen cross sections were first characterized by metallographic examination. To reveal the microstructure, the polished surface was etched... 

TTi-v SenHponckictors. The use of Baman epectroscopy to characterize crystalline films of coopound semicon ictors has been reviewed. (12) Effects that can be monitored are orientatloi, carrier COTcentration, charge carriers scattering times, mixed-crystal oonposition (12) and Grotp V deposits in the native oxides.(201... 

In this example, a pentacene film was thermally evaporated to 50 nm thick on the native oxide of a room temperature silicon wafer. NEXAFS spectroscopy was performed on this film at the NIST/Dow soft x-ray materials characterization facility at the national synchrotron light source (NSLS) of Brookhaven National Laboratory. The carbon K-edge was collected at several incident angles, shown in Figure 4.2.5. 

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