Growth Kinetics and Electrical Characteristics of Thermal Silicon Dioxide Grown at Low Temperatures

The oxidation kinetics and electrical characteristics of thermal silicon dioxide grown between 650 and 750°C have been measured and compared to oxides grow at higher temperatures. The majority of the growth occurs in the rapid oxidation regime. The growth rate results agree well with the theory of Massoud,₉ with appropriate low temperature extrapolations. Chlorinated oxidation shows some growth rate enhancement. The interface state density is found to be slightly higher in low temperature oxides, although the difference is mitigated by a hydrogen sinter. The apparent breakdown field of the low temperature oxides is about 16 MV/cm, with a distribution comparable to higher temperature dielectrics. The I-V stressing characteristics of all of the thin oxides are markedly different than those of the thicker oxides. Explanations of the difference and possible mechanisms for the breakdown are presented.