Radiation Response of Thin Oxides Grown By Rapid Thermal Oxidation and Rapid Thermal Annealing Techniques

Abstract

AbstractHigh quality, 20 to 30 nm thick SiO2 films were grown using rapid thermal oxidation techniques. Metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors formed with these oxides were characterized electrically using low and high frequency capacitance measurements. The effects of post oxidation annealing (POA) ambient, temperature and duration on the initial oxide properties and the radiation response of the MOS capacitors were determined. The addition of a small amount of O2 to the POA ambient significantly reduced the radiation induced hole trapping and interface state creation, particularly for the higher POA temperatures. In addition, annealing and reirradiation experiments were carried out and showed that both the trapped charge and interface state buildup were completely reversible after anneals at 400°C. This repeatability argues against interface state creation models which involve irreversible changes in the atomic arrangements near the interface.