Hydrogen passivation of silicon surfaces

ABSTRACTThe dry etching technologies reactive ion etching (RIE) and ion beam etching (IBE) have both been shown to cause a damaged layer at silicon surfaces. It has been demonstrated that this damage can be annealed out or, alternatively, it can be passivated with low energy hydrogen implants from a Kaufman ion source. This study further explores the hydrogen passivation approach by focusing on the effect of hydrogen implantation on damage caused by argon ion beam etching. The lighter hydrogen ions are actually shown ta cause more extensive damage than the heavier argon ions. However, by using low-energy hydrogen implants all damage, that present from the Ar and that generated during the hydrogen implant, can be passivated.

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Hydrogen Passivation of HF ‐ Last Cleaned (100) Silicon Surfaces Investigated by Multiple Internal Reflection Infrared Spectroscopy

Journal of The Electrochemical Society ◽

10.1149/1.2059288 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 141 (11) ◽

pp. 3128-3136 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

H. Bender ◽

S. Verhaverbeke ◽

M. M. Heyns

Keyword(s):

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Internal Reflection ◽

Silicon Surfaces ◽

Hydrogen Passivation

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Effects of Hydrogen Coverage on Silicon Surface Reactivity

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-259-99 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 259 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A.C. Dillon ◽

M.B. Robinson ◽

S.M. George ◽

P. Gupta

Keyword(s):

Porous Silicon ◽

Silicon Surface ◽

High Surface ◽

Surface Cleaning ◽

Surface Reactivity ◽

Silicon Surfaces ◽

Initial Surface ◽

Hydrogen Passivation ◽

Surface Species ◽

Oxidation Rates

ABSTRACTHydrogen passivation of silicon surfaces plays an important role in silicon surface cleaning and preparation. To measure the effect of hydrogen passivation on silicon surface reactivity, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) transmission spectroscopy was used to monitor the oxidation of silicon surfaces versus hydrogen coverage. Experiments were performed insitu in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber using high surface area poroussilicon samples. Si-H stretching and bending vibrations and Si-O-Si stretching vibrations were employed to monitor the silicon surface species. Oxidation studies with O2 conducted versus various initial hydrogen coverages revealed that oxidation rates and apparent oxygen saturation levels on porous silicon decreased as a function of initial surface hydrogen coverage. Exceptional surface stability was observed when the porous silicon surface was passivated by both monohydride and dihydride surface species. In addition, new blue-shifted Si-H stretching and bending features were observed following the oxidation of partially hydrogen-passivated porous silicon which indicated the presence of Ox SiH species. Thermal annealing studies revealed that the thermal stability of these OxSiH species increased with increasing oxidation of the silicon surface. These results have important implications for silicon growth and surface cleaning because they indicate that hydrogen removal is more difficult when the silicon surface is contaminated with oxygen. These FTIR results have also been compared with earlier results of oxidation versus hydrogen coverage on Si(111) 7×7.

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