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A Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Study: Si/SiO2 Interface Roughness Induced by Chemical Etching

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Jixin Yu ,
Lequn Liu  and
Joseph W. Lyding
Jixin Yu
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, USC NanoCenter, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29063 Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801
Lequn Liu
Affiliation:
Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801
Joseph W. Lyding
Affiliation:
Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801
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Abstract

The Si/SiO2 interface roughness has received tremendous interest due to its relation to channel mobility degradation and dielectric reliability. We have used ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy to directly examine the Si/SiO2 interface and study the roughening effect caused by chemical etching. The rms-roughness extracted quantitatively from the STM topography was found to be doubled from 0.111nm to 0.232nm by the normal NH4OH/H2O2 treatment, and further increased to 0.285nm for additional etching steps. It was also found that there were no regular single steps on the SiO2/Si(100) interface.

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