Wet rapid thermal oxidation of silicon with a pyrogenic system

A pyrogenic steam generator is implemented in a conventional AST SHS2800ε RTP system to produce H2O gas ambient for oxide growth enhancement in a Wet Rapid Thermal Oxidation process (WRTO). For similar thermal budgets of wet and dry oxidation, the growth rate is several times higher for the wet process. The temperature sensitivity (unit: Å/K) of the process changes strongly with the grown oxide thickness. The influence of H2O:O2 proportion in the process gas on final oxide thickness is also determined and leads to a definition of a `wetʹ process. Isothermal and isochronal thickness data are summarized for the wet oxidation process. All results are analysed with the theoretical growth model of Deal and Grove [1] and compared to previous results with conventional furnace technology. Electrical breakdown properties of the various oxides grown on epitaxial wafers with an average thickness of 140 Å are presented.