2 TYPES OF LOCAL OXIDE SUBSTRATE DEFECTS IN VERY THIN SILICON DIOXIDEFILMS ON SILICON/

The local oxide defects observed in thin silicon dioxide films on p-ty pe Si were studied with the electron beam induced current/tunneling cu rrent microscopy technique. Excluding pinholes, all the local defects observed are local oxide/substrate defects, i.e., local oxide defects propagated from defects in the Si substrate into the SiO2. It was obse rved that local oxide/substrate defects can be further differentiated into two different types by studying the transition from the true oxid e electron beam induced current contrast to the tunneling current micr oscopy contrast. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.