The dependence of room-temperature oxidation of silicon catalyzed by Cu3Si on the silicide grain size

The dependence of room-temperature oxidation of silicon catalyzed by Cu3Si on the silicide grain size has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffractometry. The thickness of the SiO2 layer was found to decrease with the average grain size of the starting Cu3Si layer. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that oxidation is initiated at the grain boundaries. Oxide film as thick as 4.5 μm, compared to a previous record of about 2 μm, was grown at room temperature over a period of two weeks in (001) samples. The growth of thick oxide films was achieved by minimizing the grain size of Cu3Si through a reaction between Cu and an intermediate amorphous silicon layer at 200 °C.