Enhanced and Retarded SiO2 Growth on Thermally Oxidized Fe-Contaminated n-Type Si(001) Surfaces

At the beginning of the oxidation of Fe-contaminated n-type Si(001) surfaces, Fe reacted with oxygen (O2) on the silicon (Si) substrate to form Fe2O3 and oxygen-induced point defects (emitted Si + vacancies). SiO2 growth was mainly enhanced by catalytic action of Fe. At 650 °C, SiO2 growth of the contaminated samples was faster than in reference samples rinsed in RCA solution during the first 60 min. However, it substantially slowed and became less than that of the reference samples. As the oxidation advanced, approximately half of the contaminated Fe atoms became concentrated close to the surface area of the SiO2 film layer. This Fe2O3-rich SiO2 layer acted as a diffusion barrier against oxygen species. The diffusion of oxygen atoms toward the SiO2/Si interface may have been reduced, and in turn, the emission of Si self-interstitials owing to oxidation-induced strain may have been decreased at the SiO2/Si interface, resulting in the retarded oxide growth. These results are evidence that emitted Si self-interstitials are oxidized not in the Fe2O3-rich SiO2 layer, but at the SiO2/Si interface in accordance with a previously proposed model. A possible mechanism based on the interfacial Si emission model is discussed. The activation energies for the oxide growth are found to be in accord with the enhanced and reduced growths of the Fe-contaminated samples.