HYDROGEN-INDUCED THERMAL INTERFACE DEGRADATION IN (111) SI SIO2 REVEALED BY ELECTRON-SPIN-RESONANCE/

Electron-spin resonance (ESR) experiments show that the interface degr adation induced in thermal (111) Si/SiO2 by postoxidation annealing (P OA) in vacuum-previously isolated by ESR as a permanent creation of P- b (degrees Si equivalent to Si-3) interface defects-is strongly enhanc ed (similar to 6 times) when performed in H-2 ambient. It, thus, appea rs that the H-2 POA step, standardly applied to passivate interface st ates (preexisting P(b)s) naturally introduced during oxidation, effect ively creates additional defect entities; the process initiates from s imilar to 550 degrees C onward vis-a-vis similar to 640 degrees C for vacuum. The results unveil the atomic nature of one of the mechanisms of the electrically long-known ii-induced POA generation of adverse in terface states. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.