Effects of minute impurities (H, OH, F) on SiO/sub 2//Si interface as investigated by nuclear resonant reaction and electron spin resonance

The effects of minute amounts of impurities (H, OH, and F) in SiO/sub 2/ are investigated to obtain a guideline for improving the reliability of MOS devices. To examine the behavior of hydrogen, deuterium (D) is adopted as a tracer. The quantity of deuterium dissolved in SiO/sub 2/ is measured by the D(/sup 3/He,p)/sup 4/He nuclear resonant reaction (NRR) technique. The Influence of the impurities on the SiO/sub 2/-Si interface structure is studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) measurement. Hot-carrier injection with MOS capacitors and transistors are examined to determine the effects of minute impurities on the electrical characteristics of gate SiO/sub 2/ and the correlation of this effect with the NRR and ESR experimental results. It was found that significant amounts of D/sub 2/O are diffused into SiO/sub 2/, even at 200 degrees C, and these dissolved D/sub 2/O molecules are eliminated at temperatures above 700 degrees C. The number of unpaired bonds at the interface increases with decrease of dissolved water in SiO/sub 2/. The disappearance of the interface traps after high-temperature annealing above 800 degrees C is thought to be due to the viscous flow of SiO/sub 2/ and to the interface reoxidation. Reducing the hydrogen and relaxing the interface strain are essential for improving the MOS device endurance against hot carriers.<
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