Ion beam induced oxidation of silicon

A new physical phenomenon causing oxidation of silicon has been observed. The phenomenon is controlled by the impact of an energetic ion beam on a clean silicon target exposed to low-pressure oxygen. An oxide layer of 50–100 Å can be formed at room temperature by properly choosing the oxidation conditions. The growth was studied in situ by measuring the ion-induced secondary electron yield. A strong dependence on oxygen pressure and target temperature was observed. By studying the oxide with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it was concluded that the film formed is stoichiometric SiO2 . A discussion on possible growth mechanisms is carried out in terms of ion energy deposition.