Application of high purity ozone beam in the formation and characterization of SiO2 and other oxide thin films

A new ozone jet generator which can supply high purity ozone beam was specially fabricated, and applied to the formation and characterization of oxide thin films. After careful investigation of SiO2 thin film formation on Si substrates using either ozone or molecular oxygen, it was confirmed that; i) an atomic oxygen generated at dissociation of ozone attacks a back bond of Si to form Si-O-Si bonding, ii) the suboxide (SiOx; x<2) formation at the SiO₂/Si interface was suppressed by the ozone oxidation, and iii)a stable SiO₂ film was formed by the ozone exposure at a higher substrate temperature (>about 300°C). It was also confirmed that ozone exposure during surface analysis using an electron beam could diminish (and erase) sample charging even the the thickness of a SiO₂ sample is in the order of sub mm.