The Metallurgy of Oxygen in Silicon

Abstract

A review of some of the key issues involving the metallurgy of oxygen in silicon crystals demonstrates that it is a prototypical solid state materials system. The incorporation of oxygen into Czochralski-grown ingots from melt contact with silica crucibles is described in the context of the Si-SiO2 phase diagram. This paper reviews the techniques for characterizing oxygen in silicon, with an emphasis on secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and 18O isotope substitution. The intrinsic diffusivity and solubility of oxygen in silicon derived from these SIMS measurements are compared to similar results from other techniques, as well as to the related extrinsic behavior of oxygen. Aggregation phenomena involving oxygen, including thermal donor formation and precipitation, are also discussed. Finally, the topics of internal gettering, shear stress, and thermal oxidation are summarized.