Ion beam analysis of the SiO2/SiC interface

✍ Scribed by G.V. Soares; F. Trombetta; P. Schütz; I.J.R. Baumvol; C. Radtke; F.C. Stedile

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 152 KB
• Volume: 249
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0168-583X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2006.03.027

✦ Synopsis

Thermal oxidation of 6H-SiC was investigated by ion beam analysis techniques. The mechanisms of oxygen transport and incorporation were accessed by sequential oxidations in dry O 2 enriched or not in the 18 O isotope and subsequent determinations of the 18 O profiles. After sequential 16 O 2 / 18 O 2 or 18 O 2 / 16 O 2 oxidations of SiC, the 18 O profiles were seen to be markedly different from those observed in Si oxidation, which led to the identification of different mechanisms of oxygen incorporation and transport. The gradual nature of the SiO 2 /SiC interface was also evidenced by the 18 O depth distributions in samples oxidized in a single step in 18 O-enriched O 2 . A probable explanation for this gradual SiO 2 /SiC interface is the formation of C clusters during oxidation.