COMPARISON OF TECHNIQUES FOR DEPTH PROFILING OXYGEN IN SILICON

Auger electron spectrometry (AES), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (BS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry with Cs+ ion bombardment (Cs+/SIMS) have been experimentally compared as to their respective capabilities for depth profiling oxygen in silicon. This evaluation was conducted for depth profiling oxygen in silicon. This evaluation was conducted using standardized silicon samples with: (1) native (∼30 Å) and 80 Å thick surface oxides; (2) the same oxide layers buried beneath 1000 Å of evaporated amorphous silicon; (3) ion implanted oxygen in silicon. In general, BS was found to be the most quantitative of the three methods, particularly when using the 3.045 MeV 4He+ resonance technique for 16O in the channelling mode, but had the poorest detection limit (∼1020 atoms cm-3) and overall analytical utility. The Cs+/SIMS technique was found to have the best detection limit (5 × 1017 atoms cm-3) and general analytical applicability. Auger electron spectrometry was found to be intermediate in both regards. © 1979.