Thermal oxidation method utilizing atomic oxygen to reduce dangling bonds in silicon dioxide grown on silicon
US6509283B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 13, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jan 21, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 13, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/02255
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Atomic oxygen, or a mixture of atomic oxygen and atomic nitrogen, is utilized in thermally oxidizing silicon to form a layer of silicon dioxide, or nitrogen-doped silicon dioxide, on a surface of the silicon. Use of atomic oxygen (or O−+N−) provides a better stoichiometric silicon dioxide structure with fewer dangling bonds than results from standard oxidation processes. The atomic oxygen (or O−+N−) may be generated within the oxidation furnace, for example by passing the gas through a heated ceramic material (e.g., Al2O3) or by using internal UV radiation of the oxygen gas. Alternatively, the atomic oxygen (or O−+N−) may be generated at a remote source, for example in a plasma reactor, and then introduced to the oxidation furnace. Atomic chlorine can be generated and used prior to the oxidation step for pre-cleaning the silicon surface.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.