PLASMA OXIDATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR AND METAL SURFACES.

Plasma oxidation is a process whereby surfaces are oxidized in an oxygen gas discharge via active neutral and charged oxygen species. In recent years it has attracted much interest in the microelectronics industry where low temperature, dry processes are widely used for fabricating VLSI devices. For example, oxides can be used for surface passivation, device isolation, charge storage, optical wave guides, and diffusion inhibition, to mention just a few. A brief overview of the current understanding of plasma oxidation of Si, compound semiconductors, and metals is presented. Using analytical instrumentations such as ion, electron, and photon spectroscopy much information have been gathered on the oxide films and their interfacial properties. Discussions on oxidation mechanisms pertaining to plasma-surface interaction, bulk oxygen species transport, and oxide-substrate interfacial reactions are given with illustrations from different oxide systems. In the area of practical applications, examples are given to show how plasma oxides can be used in micro-electronic device fabrication. (Edited author abstract. )