POSITIVE CHARGE GENERATION AT A SIO2 SI INTERFACE DUE TO BOMBARDMENT WITH METASTABLE ATOMS/

The influence of metastable atoms on a SiO2/Si structure is examined t o determine the source of damage in ULSI devices during plasma enhance d processes. Holes were generated at the SiO2 surface by the impact of metastable atoms of rare gases. Holes trapped at the interface formed positive charges, and the density of these positive charges increased with the increasing energy of the metastable atoms. The yields of the positive charge generation were between 0.01 and 0.1, which are on th e same order as those caused by vacuum ultraviolet photons, and these values are not negligible. Thus, the influence of metastable atoms mus t be taken into consideration to control the damage that occurs during plasma enhanced processes.