The effect of a post oxidation in-situ nitrogen anneal on Si surface passivation

Abstract

The thermal stability of Si / SiO2 stacks and Si / SiO2 / Si3N4 stacks with and without post oxidation in-situ anneal in nitrogen is investigated by Quasi-steady state photoconductivity decay (QSSPCD) and Electronic Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). With in-situ annealing in nitrogen, the Si-SiO2 interface shows a reduced density of paramagnetic defects and better thermal stability. Si / SiO2 / Si3N4 stacks have a much slower depassivation rate than Si / SiO2 stacks due to hydrogen stored in nitride layer. Show more