P-type Si(100) substrate was oxidized using helicon-wave-excited O2–Ar plasma at low temperatures. Post–thermal annealings were performed after oxidation in forming gases (FGs) containing 3% and 5% H2. The capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics were significantly improved by post-thermal annealing at 500°C in FG containing 3% H2, and a minimum interface state density of 1.5 ×1010 eV-1cm-2 was obtained, which was comparable to those at device-grade thermal-Si–oxide/Si interfaces. The interface-state densities was about ∼1011 eV-1cm-2 for the oxide samples post-thermally annealed in O2 ambient. The Fowler–Nordheim (FN) tunneling current is the dominant leakage current mechanism similar to that of thermal Si oxide. However, the barrier height was somewhat smaller than that of the thermal oxide. FN current stress experiments were carried out to simulate the hot-carrier injection endurance of the grown oxide film with both electrical polarities of the stress voltages. The shift of the threshold voltage was the smallest for the oxide sample post-thermally annealed in FG containing 3% H2. The results of the FN stressing could be well interpreted by the surface plasmon and avalanche breakdown models.
The effects of the gas-flow-rate ratio on the electrical characteristics and the Fowler-Nordheim (FN) current stress resistance were investigated for Si oxynitride grown with helicon-wave excited (HWP) N2–Ar plasma. The flow-rate ratio of N2 [N2/(N2+Ar)] was varied from 100% (N2 only) to 60%. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic data (XPS) indicated that uniform Si oxynitride (probably Si2N2O) was formed through the entire film thickness when the N2 gas-flow-rate ratio was 100% (N2 only), though a small amount of Si suboxide was included. The capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurements revealed that the interface-state density was the lowest in this flow-rate ratio case, as the grown layer was postannealed at moderate temperatures (300–500°C). Fowler-Nordheim current injection was performed using the metal/Si-oxynitride/Si capacitors thus fabricated. The shift of the threshold voltage was the lowest for the sample grown without Ar mixing. It was smaller than that for the thermal Si oxide (SiO2) grown at 900°C. The results of FN current stress resistance experiments were explained in terms of the surface plasmon and avalanche breakdown models.
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