Spectroscopic-ellipsometric study of native oxide removal by liquid phase HF process

Due to their higher charge mobility, III-V semiconductors have the potential to replace Si to make faster computer processors that consume less energy. The small bandgap (0.17 eV) of InSb also allows this material to absorb and emit energy in the infrared, making it a key component in infrared detectors for many applications [1]. One disadvantage of III-V semiconductors is their rapid oxidation in air after etching processes and the complex nature of their oxides [2]. Successful chemical passivation and enhancement of electrical properties of various III-V semiconductors with sulfur-containing molecules has been reported in the last years [3]. Zhernokletovet. al.passivated InSb (111)A with a 10 min immersion in a 10% (NH4)2S solution, followed by annealing at 300oC. With this method, low In and Sb oxide levels were obtained after the liquid passivation, and complete oxide removal was achieved after the annealing process. This procedure prevented further oxidation of the InSb substrate, although no mention is made of the passivation time that would be achieved after liquid phase (NH4)2S deposition alone [4]. The goal of this project is to design a liquid-phase process sequence to chemically etch the native oxide and passivate the surface of InSb (100) by depositing an organic layer that prevents oxygen diffusion to the substrate surface and that can be removed when desired. The longest commercially available alkanethiol molecule, 1-eicosanethiol, was chosen to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the InSb (100) surface.

Download Full-text

Polysilicon Emitter Transistors Manufactured using a Novel Limited Reaction Processing System

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-146-133 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 146 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Fred Ruddell ◽

Colin Parkes ◽

B Mervyn Armstrong ◽

Harold S Gamble

Keyword(s):

Thermal Processing ◽

Rapid Thermal Processing ◽

Processing System ◽

Bipolar Transistors ◽

Native Oxide ◽

Plasma Oxidation ◽

Oxide Removal ◽

Polysilicon Emitter ◽

Reaction Processing

ABSTRACTThis paper describes a LPCVD reactor which was developed for multiple sequential in-situ processing. The system is capable of rapid thermal processing in the presence of plasma stimulation and has been used for native oxide removal, plasma oxidation and silicon deposition. Polysilicon layers produced by the system are incorporated into N-P-N polysilicon emitter bipolar transistors. These devices fabricated using a sequential in-situ plasma clean-polysilicon deposition schedule exhibited uniform gains limited to that of long single crystal emitters. Devices with either plasma grown or native oxide layers below the polysilicon exhibited much higher gains. The suitability of the system for sequential and limited reaction processing has been established.

Download Full-text

Native oxide removal from SiGe using mixtures of HF and water delivered by aqueous, gas, and supercritical CO2 processes

Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing ◽

10.1016/j.mssp.2004.09.104 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 8 (1-3) ◽

pp. 231-237 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Bo Xie ◽

Gerardo Montaño-Miranda ◽

Casey C. Finstad ◽

Anthony J. Muscat

Keyword(s):

Supercritical Co2 ◽

Native Oxide ◽

Oxide Removal

Download Full-text

Native Oxide Removal on Si Surfaces byNF3-Added Hydrogen and Water Vapor Plasma Downstream Treatment

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics ◽

10.1143/jjap.33.2207 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 33 (Part 1, No. 4B) ◽

pp. 2207-2211 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Jun Kikuchi ◽

Masao Iga ◽

Hiroki Ogawa ◽

Shuzo Fujimura ◽

Hiroshi Yano

Keyword(s):

Water Vapor ◽

Native Oxide ◽

Oxide Removal

Download Full-text

Reactive Ion Etch Initiation Delay in BCl[sub 3]∕SF[sub 6]∕Ar Plasmas Due to Native Oxide Removal in NH[sub 4]OH∕H[sub 2]O

Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters ◽

10.1149/1.1390728 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 43 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Karen J. Nordheden

Keyword(s):

Native Oxide ◽

Oxide Removal

Download Full-text

7353. Native oxide removal during chlorine reactive ion etching of silicon in an rf diode reactor

Vacuum ◽

10.1016/0042-207x(91)91160-p ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 42 (8-9) ◽

pp. 589

Keyword(s):

Reactive Ion Etching ◽

Native Oxide ◽

Ion Etching ◽

Oxide Removal

Download Full-text

Quantitative Characterization of Surface Polarity Dependence of Wetting Properties of V-Doped SiC Using a Novel Image Analysis Technique

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.1004.284 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1004 ◽

pp. 284-289 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jung Gon Kim ◽

Woo Sik Yoo ◽

Dae Sung Kim ◽

Won Jae Lee

Keyword(s):

Contact Angle ◽

Image Analysis ◽

Specific Surface ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Water Drop ◽

Native Oxide ◽

Surface Polarity ◽

Temperature Oxidation ◽

Wetting Properties ◽

Oxide Removal

Vanadium doped semi-insulating (SI) 6H-SiC {0001} substrates and their wetting properties were characterized using precisely dispensed de-ionized (DI) water drops. Radius, contact angle, width (chord), height and cap volume of a DI water drop on the SiC surface were quantitatively determined by analyzing sideview images of DI water drop in contact with SI 6H-SiC {0001} substrates using image processing software. The average of ten (10) contact angle measurements showed approximately 4 ° difference between the Si-face (48.48°) and the C-face (44.33º). Contact angle on the Si-face (0001) measured after native oxide removal showed significant decrease of contact angle, from 55° to 25° and recovered over time by room temperature oxidation in air. In contrast, contact angle on the C-face (000-1), measured after native oxide removal, showed significant increase of contact angle, from 40° to 54°, and continue to increase contact angle up to 71° after room temperature oxidation for 24 hours in air. Contact angle is found to be very sensitive to SiC surface polarity and specific surface conditions. Contact angle measurement, using image analysis techniques, can be applied as an in-line identification and surface condition characterization technique for SiC polytypes of specific surface polarities.

Download Full-text

AFM analysis of HF Vapor Cleaned SiO2 Surfaces

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-477-481 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 477 ◽

Author(s):

R. J. Carter ◽

E. J. Bergman ◽

D. R. Lee ◽

J. Owyang ◽

R. J. Nemanich

Keyword(s):

Ambient Pressure ◽

Etching Process ◽

Native Oxide ◽

Average Height ◽

Force Microscopy ◽

Native Oxides ◽

Atomic Force ◽

Thermal Oxide ◽

Afm Analysis ◽

Oxide Removal

ABSTRACTSi(100) surfaces were cleaned using HF/IPA vapor chemistries at ambient pressure and temperature with nitrogen as the carrier gas. Three distinct cases for oxide removal were studied: vapor etching of native oxides, RCA chemical oxides, and thermal oxides. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize the surface morphology after the HF vapor etching process. The AFM indicated exaggerated peaks in random places on the surface, These peaks were identified as residue remaining after the vapor etching process. The average lateral width of the peaks were ∼ 50 nm. The average height of the peaks for native and chemical oxide etched surfaces was relatively the same, approximately 8 nm. The average height of the peaks after thermal oxide removal was significantly smaller, approximately 1–2 nm. Peak density for native oxide etched surfaces was significantly greater than chemical or thermal oxide etched surfaces. We suggest that impurities in the oxide contribute to residue formation on the surface.

Download Full-text