Fluorine-enhanced photo-oxidation of silicon under ArF excimer laser irradiation in an O2+NF3 gas mixture

We have studied fluorine-enhanced oxidation of silicon in an O2+NF3 gas mixture under ArF excimer laser (193 nm) irradiation. An oxide layer of more than 60 Å can be grown even at 400 °C for 20 min at NF3 gas concentrations less than 0.5%. A considerable enhancement of the oxidation rate by laser irradiation originates in the catalytic effect of fluorine radicals produced by photodissociation of NF3 molecules not only in the gas phase, but also on the oxide surface.