Rapid growth of ultra thin SiO2 films by a large-area electron beam

Rapid growth of ultra thin oxide films (40–180Å) of silicon using a low-energy large-area electron beam has been performed with a pressure ratio of 31 (O₂/He) and a total pressure of 0.5–0.7 Torr. A higher oxidation rate of about 625Ų/s is found for shorter irradiation time of the e-beam in the e-beam dose range 0.75–3 Coulomb/cm² and at lower substrate temperature 540–740°C. AES and XPS demonstrated a rapid electron-stimulated oxidation process of the Si surface. For the grown ultra thin oxide films, C-V characteristics, dielectric strength, uniformity of the film over the entire Si wafer and its thickness as a function of the processing time of the e-beam are also presented.