2 TYPES OF LOCAL OXIDE/SUBSTRATE DEFECTS IN VERY THIN SILICON DIOXIDE FILMS ON SILICON

The local oxide defects observed in thin silicon dioxide films on p-type Si were studied with the electron beam induced current/tunneling current microscopy technique. Excluding pinholes, all the local defects observed are local oxide/substrate defects, i.e., local oxide defects propagated from defects in the Si substrate into the SiO2. It was observed that local oxide/substrate defects can be further differentiated into two different types by studying the transition from the true oxide electron beam induced current contrast to the tunneling current microscopy contrast. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.