Ultrathin 600 degrees C wet thermal silicon dioxide

This paper describes the electrical quality of gate oxides grown at 600 deg rees C in a wet oxygen environment. The oxides were grown by carrying out t he pyrogenic reaction of H-2 and O-2 at 750 degrees C while keeping the tem perature in the sample region at 600 degrees C. Using this approach SiO2 fi lms with thicknesses ranging from 25 to 45 Angstrom have been grown. They e xhibit leakage current densities comparable to high-temperature thermal oxi de films of the same thickness grown in dry oxygen at higher temperatures. Breakdown fields were found to be around 12 MV/cm independent of substrate orientation. Interface trap densities were determined to be in the 10(10) c m(-2) eV(-1) range. Growth rates of 5 Angstrom/h were measured for (100) or iented substrates and 6 Angstrom/h for (111) surfaces. (C) 1999 The Electro chemical Society. S1099-0062(99)08-097-9. All rights reserved.