Interaction of SiC thermal oxidation by-products with SiO₂

Abstract

We investigated oxygen incorporation and exchange during thermal growth of silicon oxide films on silicon carbide. This investigation was carried out in parallel with the thermal growth of silicon oxide films on silicon for comparison. We provide experimental evidence that oxidation by-products of silicon carbide out-diffuse and interact with the silicon oxide overlayer, incorporating C and O. This and other results are in sharp contrast to those obtained for silicon samples, constituting a key issue in the stability of any dielectric material used on silicon carbide. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.