NITROGEN SATURATION BEHAVIOR NEAR THE SIO2 SI-INTERFACE DURING N2O-RAPID THERMAL-OXIDATION/

After N2O-oxidation at 1200-degrees-C down to 800-degrees-C from 20 s to 180 s a maximum nitrogen content of 4 at% to 1 at% with an apparent activation energy E(A) of 0.6 eV is situated inside the SiO(x) transi tion layer of lower than 2.5 nm width. The incorporation of the nitrog en itself has an E(A) of 2 eV - 3 eV suggesting a reaction limited pro cess. Differences in etch rate at the same nitrogen content give a hin t to variations of bond stress relaxation in the transition layer duri ng N2O-RTO depending on preoxidation conditions.