A new model for the growth of silicon dioxide layers

Abstract
A new model is proposed to account for the growth of both thin and thick silicon dioxide layers. The main assumption of the model is the presence of an exponential distribution of total net charges during oxidation, which strongly affects the oxidation kinetics if the oxidizing species is in ionic form. Theoretical calculation, taking into account the influence of this internal electric field, agrees reasonably well with experimental data covering both thin and thick oxides. The model can be reduced to the well-known formula of Deal and Grove in the limit of thick oxide, and can also explain satisfactorily the effect of an external field on the oxidation rates.