Oxidation of Curved Silicon Surfaces

The equations for the oxidation of a silicon cylinder or sphere or of a cylindrical hole or spherical cavity in silicon are solved exactly in the quasi‐static limit. In all cases, oxidation is complete after a finite time. If the initial oxidized layer is sufficiently thin and the initial radius is sufficiently large, oxidation proceeds initially according to the planar model of Deal and Grove. If the initial radius is small, only the linear part of the planar model is initially followed. Graphical examples are presented. Calculations for both wet and dry oxidation of silicon with cylindrical and spherical radii from 10 nm to 1 μm over the temperature range 800°–1100°C are provided in the appendixes.