IMPROVEMENT IN GATE OXIDE INTEGRITY ON THIN-FILM SILICON-ON-INSULATORSUBSTRATES BY LATERAL GETTERING

Lateral gettering is implemented in thin-film silicon-on-insulator (TF SOI) substrates by introducing crystalline defects in the vicinity of metal-oxide-semiconductor device channel regions prior to gate oxidati on. As a result of the gettering a significant improvement in gate oxi de integrity is achieved, with increased oxide breakdown voltages and charge-to-breakdowns, as well as a reduction in localized oxide charge trapping. The same gettering effect on separation-by-implantation-of- oxygen and bonded silicon-on-insulator substrates suggests that the la ck of effective gettering is mainly responsible for the oxide degradat ion regardless of the TFSOI type. This work also demonstrates the feas ibility of achieving bulk-comparable gate oxides on TFSOI substrates. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.