The oxidation of single crystal, n‐type silicon has been investigated in the temperature range 900°–1200°C. These studies involved the use of three different oxidizing atmospheres, dry oxygen, wet oxygen, and steam, all at atmospheric pressure. Kinetic data, including thickness and weight rate constants, activation energies, and oxidation efficiencies, were compared among the three systems. The silicon oxides produced by the different methods were characterized by certain properties, such as density, dielectric strength, masking ability, and number of imperfections. It was demonstrated that the wet oxygen process produces oxides exhibiting the best protective properties relative to semiconductor device applications. No effects on oxidation characteristics were found due to impurity type or concentration, but a surface orientation effect was observed.