Surface and Interface Strains Studied by X-Ray Diffraction

Abstract

We have developed a technique of X-ray diffraction in order to measure strain fields near semiconductor surface and interface. The diffraction geometry is using the extremely asymmetric Bragg-case bulk reflection of a small incident angle to the surface and a large angle exiting from the surface. The incident angle of the X-rays is set near critical angle of total reflection by tuning X-ray energy of synchrotron radiation at the Photon Factory, Japan. For thermally grown-silicon oxide/Si(100) interface, the X-ray intensity of the silicon substrate 311 reflection has been measured. From comparison of the full width at half maxima (FWHM) of X-ray rocking curves of various thickness of silicon oxides, it has been revealed that silicon substrate lattice is highly strained in the thin ( less than about 5 nm) silicon oxide/silicon system. In order to know the original silicon surface strain, we have also performed the same kind measurements in the ultra-high vacuum chamber. A clean Si(l 11) 7×7 surface gives sharper X-ray diffraction peak than that of the native oxide/Si(l 11) system. From these measurements, it is concluded that the thin silicon oxide film itself gives strong strain fields to the silicon substrates, which may be the reason of the existence of the structural transition layer at the silicon oxide/Si interface.