A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Potential of ultrahigh-vacuum based surface treatments in silicon technology




AuthorsJahanshah Rad, Zahra; Miettinen, Mikko; Punkkinen, Risto; Suomalainen, Petri; Punkkinen, Marko; Laukkanen, Pekka; Kokko, Kalevi

PublisherElsevier BV

Publication year2025

JournalMicroelectronic Engineering

Journal name in sourceMicroelectronic Engineering

Article number112382

Volume300

ISSN0167-9317

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.mee.2025.112382

Web address https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mee.2025.112382


Abstract

Ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) environment with the background pressure in the range of 1‧10−15–1‧10−11 bar is common in surface-science experiments, but UHV-based material treatments are rarely used in the current silicon technology. UHV methods might however provide a clear benefit to the technology when atomic-level cleanliness and crystalline order of Si surfaces (interfaces) as well as dry-cleaning methods for the surfaces become relevant to the development of Si devices. We have studied effects of some UHV-based treatments on the properties of Si surfaces and of thin oxide films on Si. Exposing Si, pre-cleaned by the RCA recipe with the final HF dip, to mere hydrogen (H2) gas in UHV chamber at the Si temperature of 200 °C increases a crystalline degree of the Si surface according to low-energy electron diffraction. Effects of postheating in UHV are also studied for different oxidized Si surfaces. Wet chemically oxidized (RCA without HF dip) Si was heated step-by-step up to 800 °C in UHV until the oxide removal is strongly enhanced. Both crystalline degree of the RCA chemical oxide and surface roughness increase with the UHV post-heating at 500–800 °C. Exposing native-oxide covered sidewalls of Si diodes to mere oxygen (O2) gas in UHV chamber at Si temperature of 350 °C (i) increases amount of SiO2 at the sidewalls according to x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, (ii) decreases amount of the band-gap electron levels at the sidewalls according to scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and (iii) provides a durable decrease in the diode leakage current.


Funding information in the publication
This work has been supported by the University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS), the Academy of Finland (via the project #296469), the Business Finland TUTLI project (SISUPROCO, 1671/31/2018), and the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation.


Last updated on 2025-27-08 at 13:42