IN-SITU AUGER-ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY OF SILICON THIN-FILMS FABRICATED USING ARF EXCIMER LASER-INDUCED CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION AND THE OXIDATION PROCESS

The authors describe characteristics of silicon films fabricated by ph otodecomposition of disilane gas using a newly developed deposition pr ocess. Hydrogenated amorphous films free from oxygen contamination are confirmed to be fabricated using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) an alysis before exposing the films to air. Furthermore, film oxidation a fter prolonged exposure to air is studied to a depth of 6 nm using spu tter AES analysis. A difference in the oxidation processes is found be tween those occurring at the film surface and those at the inner sites below 2 nm. The process at the surface is explained as adsorption acc ording to Sameshima's relation and, at the inner sites, is described b y a similar form of the relation by considering conventional diffusion theory.