Application of Supercritical CO(2) Fluid for Dielectric Improvement of SiO(x) Film

Abstract

In this paper the supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO(2)) fluid technology is employed to improve the quality of E-gun evaporation deposited silicon oxide (SiO(x)) film at 150 degrees C. After the treatment of SCCO(2) fluid mixed with ethyl alcohol and pure H(2)O, the oxygen content of SiO(x) film increases and the traps within SiO(x) are terminated by forming Si-O-Si feature bonds. The leakage current density reduces from 10(-2) to 3x10(-8) A/cm(2) at an electric field of 3 MV/cm due to the passivation of traps, and the hysteresis effect in the capacitance-voltage curve is eliminated.