Low-temperature growth of Si oxide with good electrical qualities using helicon-wave-excited O-2-Ar plasma and forming gas annealing

P-type Si(100) substrate was oxidized using helicon-wave-excited O-2-Ar pla sma at low temperatures. Post-thermal annealings were performed after oxida tion in forming gases (FGs) containing 3% and 5% H-2. The capacitance-volta ge (C-V) characteristics were significantly improved by post-thermal anneal ing at 500 degrees C in FG containing 3% H-2, and a minimum interface stare density of 1.5 x 10(10) eV(-1)cm(-2) was obtained, which was comparable to those at device-grade thermal-Si-oxide/Si interfaces. The interface-state densities was about similar to 10(11) eV(-1)cm(-2) for the oxide samples po st-thermally annealed in O-2 ambient. The Fowler-Nordheim (FN) tunneling cu rrent is the dominant leakage current mechanism similar to that of thermal Si oxide. However, the barrier height was somewhat smaller than that of the thermal oxide. FN current stress experiments were carried out to simulate the hot-carrier injection endurance of the grown oxide film with both elect rical polarities of the stress voltages. The shift of the threshold voltage was the smallest for the oxide sample post-thermally annealed in FG contai ning 3% H-2. The results of the FN stressing could be well interpreted by t he surface plasmon and avalanche breakdown models.