李永健24-25-A12.docVIP

原文： The probability of Si diffusing through the SiO2 is many orders of magnitude smaller than the probability of O2 diffusing through SiO2. For this reason,the chemical reaction occurs at the Si-SiO2 interface. The amount of silicon consumed during the chemical reaction is about 44 percent of the thickness of the final oxide. A native oxide forms on the surface of silicon at room temperature. However,when the oxide thickness reaches approximately 25 ? ,the reaction effectively stops since the diffusion coefficient of O2 in SiO2 at room temperature is extremely small. Figure 1.26 shows an example of a finished oxidation process. The silicon dioxide only grows on bare silicon. Silicon nitride(Si3N4) acts as a mask so SiO2 will not grow over this region. However,the SiO2 will tend to grow laterally under the edge of the Si3N4 to form a birds beak region, as shown in the figure. The figure also shows that silicon is consumed during the growth process but that the final surface of the silicon dioxide is above the original silicon surface. After an oxidation process, the surfing of the semiconductor may not be exactly flat. Thicker oxides can be formed at elevated temperatures. To create a thermal oxide， the silicon wafer is placed in a quartz tube that is inserted in a resistive-heated furnace. A temperature in the range 800 to 1100°C is typical for thermal oxidation. The chemical reaction occurs faster at higher temperatures. The oxidation may also occur in an ambient containing water vapor. This process is called a wet oxidation . The wet oxidation process proceeds according to the reaction Si(solid)+2H2 O(gas)→ SiO2(solid)+2H2 (gas) This wet oxidation reaction proceeds faster than the dry oxidation and is used to form thick layers of silicon dioxide. As the silicon dioxide forms,the oxygen or water molecules diffuse through the previously created oxide, as mentioned, to form additional SiO2. For very