An Auger analysis of the SiO2-Si interface

Abstract

Auger electron spectroscopy has been used in conjunction with argon ion sputtering in a study of the chemical structure of the interface region between thermally grown SiO₂ and the Si substrate. The distorting effects of the electron and ion beams are dealt with in detail, and we show how the beam parameters can be chosen to minimize instrumental artifacts in the Auger spectra and the chemical depth profiles of the SiO₂‐Si interface. We discuss the SiO₂‐Si interface in terms of a morphology model which includes a natural interface roughness and inclusions of silicon in the oxide close to the interface. The width of the interface of a 1000‐Å oxide grown at 1200 °C in dry O₂ on Si (100) is approximately 35 Å.