Low-Temperature Oxidation of Silicon using UV-Light-Excited Ozone

An ultra low-temperature (< 300°C) silicon oxidation process in which KrF excimer laser light (λ=248 nm) is irradiated in highly concentrated ozone has been developed. The growth rate of SiO 2 film was 5.2 nm/10 min at 300°C and 3.6 nm/10 min at 70°C. The leakage current densities of grown at 70°C SiO 2 in an electric field of over 8 MV/cm match well the calculated curve based on the Fowler–Nordheim tunneling. The oxidation mechanisms for two growth modes are discussed.