Improvements on Electrical Properties of Ultra-Thin Silicon Oxides Grown by Microwave Afterglow Oxygen Plasma

Abstract

ABSTRACTFundamental characteristics such as the oxide breakdown fields, oxide charges and interface state density of various ultra-thin silicon oxides (≤ 8 nm) grown by microwave plasma afterglow oxidation at low temperatures (400 °C and 600 °C) were investigated. The effective Oxide charge density of 600 °C as-grown oxide was as low as 6×1010 cm-2. The breakdown fields of the oxides were further enhanced and the interface state densities were reduced by employing fluorination (HF soaked) and low temperature N2O plasma annealing. The breakdown field of the thin oxide grown at 600 °C with 15 min N2O plasma annealing was 12 MV/cm. The reduction of interface state density was about 35% for 600 °C fluorinated oxide. When integrated with poly-gate process, the interface state density was as low as 5×1010 cm-2eV-1.