Ultraviolet laser-induced formation of thin silicon oxide film from the precursor beta-chloroethyl silsesquioxane

Formation of silicon oxide thin films from spin-coated beta-chloroethyl sil sesquioxane (beta-cesq) on silicon, NaCl, and quartz was induced by 193 nm laser pulses. The silicon oxide deposition is characterized by ir, uv, elli psometry, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The silicon oxide fil ms obtained by uv irradiation were found to have much less carbon and chlor ine as impurities and have a higher refractive index as compared to those o btained by annealing. The photoinduced oxide films were found to be smooth, without laser-induced microrough or periodic structures.