Ozone-induced rapid low temperature oxidation of silicon

We report the use of ozone enriched oxygen to induce rapid oxidation of silicon at temperatures up to 550 °C. The growth rates induced under these conditions were well over an order of magnitude larger than those achieved using pure dry oxygen. At 550 °C films up to 260 Å in thickness were grown 4 h producing a growth rate comparable to that for conventional oxidation at 850 °C.