Inhomogeneous decomposition of ultrathin oxide films on Si(100): application of Avrami kinetics to thermal desorption spectra

Thermal decomposition of ultrathin oxide layers on silicon surface was investigated with temperature programed desorption. Oxide layers were formed on Si(100) at 400 degrees C by exposure to O(2) molecular beam. Desorption spectrum for oxygen coverages between 1.7 and 2.6 ML exhibits a single dominant peak with an additional broad peak at lower temperatures. The former peak corresponds to stable binding states of O atoms at dimer bridge sites and dimer backbond sites. The high peak intensity indicates that most O atoms are at stable states. The latter peak corresponds to an unstable binding state, where O atoms are presumably trapped at dangling bonds. The SiO desorption rate from the stable binding states is well described by Avrami kinetics, suggesting that the decomposition process is spatially inhomogeneous with void formation and growth. The rate-determining step is the reaction at void perimeter even if the overlap between voids becomes quite large. The Avrami exponents determined from our experiment indicate that the increase in the initial coverage makes the oxide layer more stable and suppresses the rate of void formation at the potential nucleation sites.