Evidence for the precursors of nitrided silicon in the early stages of silicon oxynitridation in N2:N2O atmosphere

Nitridation of hydrogen-terminated silicon with N-2:N2O has been studied by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Our analysis has given evidence that the broad N(1s) peak at 398-399 eV, usually reported in the literature, is preceded by the formation of a narrow peak at 397.5 eV, attributed to the moiety Si3N in which silicon is only marginally oxidized, and two other peaks at 400.0 eV and 401.5 eV, attributed to the moieties Si2NOSi and SiNO, respectively. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.