Tetraethylorthosilicate vapor treatment for eliminating surface sensitivity in tetraethylorthosilicate/O-3 atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition

A simple method was developed to eliminate surface sensitivity in the growt h of SiO2 films on thermal silicon dioxide surfaces by tetraethylorthosilic ate [TEOS, Si(OC2H5)(4)]/O-3 atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) at high O-3 concentration (O-3/TEOS molar flow ratio of 16). After 3 min of initial growth, the O-3 supply was interrupted so that the film g rowth stopped and the growing surface was exposed to TEOS vapor. After 5 mi n of this treatment, the O-3 was resupplied and film deposition continued. By this TEOS treatment the growth rate increased from 17 to 54 nm/min, clos e to the value for bare Si of 53 nm/min. Smooth, 400 nm thick films with a flowing profile could be prepared on thermal oxide trenches with aspect rat ios of 3:1. (C) 1999 The Electrochemical Society. S1099-0062(98)05-062-7. A ll rights reserved.