Electron spectroscopy study of the Si–O bonding and the polarization screening near the Si-SiO2 interface

Abstract

Electron spectroscopy studies of thermally grown SiO2 on Si, α-quartz, α-cristobalite, and fused silica show that the variation in the Si–O–Si bond angle in SiO2 does not cause significant change in the charge transfer in the Si–O bond. The relative core level shifts are sensitive to etching and to variations in the oxidation process. Measurements of the Auger parameter for Si show no difference in polarization screening between the Si-SiO2 interface and the bulk SiO2 and that the nearest neighbors of Si in the SiO4 tetrahedron contribute predominantly to the polarization screening.