Thin oxides with in situ native oxide removal

We have studied the inversion layer mobility of n-MOSFET's with thin-gate oxide of 20 to 70 Angstrom. Direct relationship of electron mobility to oxide/channel interface roughness was obtained from measured mobility of MOSFET's and high-resolution TEM. By using a low-pressure oxidation process with native oxide removed in situ prior to oxidation, atomically smooth interface of oxide/channel was observed by high-resolution TEM for oxide thicknesses of 11 and 38 Angstrom. The roughness increased to one to two monolayers of Si in a 55-Angstrom oxide. Significant mobility improvement was obtained from these oxides with smoother interface than that from conventional furnace oxidation. Mobility reduction with decreasing oxide thickness was observed in the 20- and 35-Angstrom oxide, with the same atomically smooth oxide/channel interface. This may be due to the remote Coulomb scattering from gate electrode or the gate field variation from poly-gate/oxide interface roughness.