SIMS analysis of nitrided oxides grown on 4H-SiC

This paper shows for the first time, physical evidence of nitrogen incorpor ation at the oxide-SiC interface as a result of post-oxidation annealing in nitric oxide (NO). Using secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) analysis, the location and shape of the nitrogen profile is seen to be almost identic al to that found in oxide-silicon interfaces. Close examination of oxygen a nd carbon SIMS profiles and atomic force microscope scans also indicate a s harper interface when annealing is done using NO compared to inert gases su ch as N-2 or argon, possibly due to the removal of carbon clusters which fo rm at the interface during oxidation. As in the case of silicon, NO anneali ng shows great promise as a processing step in the production of device qua lity gate oxides on SiC.