Oxidation and diffusion

What is the heat treatment called, performed in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere to reduce interface states at the Si/SiO2 interface?

  1. AOxygen plasma treatment
  2. BForming gas anneal
  3. CSputtering
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Answer: B. Forming gas anneal

Interface states from silicon atoms with broken bonds (dangling bonds) remain at the Si/SiO2 interface. Heat treatment in a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen (forming gas) lets hydrogen bond to the dangling bonds, reducing interface states and improving transistor characteristics.

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More Oxidation and diffusion questions

  1. What is the main purpose of adding a small amount of chlorine-containing gas such as hydrogen chloride (HCl) during thermal oxidation?
  2. When boron-doped silicon is thermally oxidized, how does the boron concentration on the silicon side near the interface tend to change?
  3. What is the heat treatment called that heats wafers one at a time to high temperature for a few seconds using lamps or similar sources?
  4. Which value is closest to the relative permittivity of SiO2 formed by thermal oxidation?
  5. Which is one of the major reasons silicon has been so widely used as a material for MOS devices?