Interfacial Layer in Thermally-grown Ultra thin Silicon Dioxides Measured by Grazing Incidence X-Ray Reflection

Abstract

The effects of oxidation temperature and post-oxidation annealing (POA) on density variation within ultra-thin (3 nm) silicon dioxide films were investigated via grazing incidence X-ray reflection (GIXR). At the SiO2/Si interface, it was found that the oxide films without POA have slightly denser layers than those of the bulk. These interfacial layers were found to be thicker for the oxide grown at a lower temperature and to become indistinguishable from the bulk of the film after POA.