OXIDATION AND THE STRUCTURE OF THE SILICON-OXIDE INTERFACE

We propose that, in the oxidation of silicon, a thin layer of a distinct 'reactive' oxide separates the silicon from the amorphous silica. This reactive layer is stabilized by stress generated with the underlying silicon during oxidation at the interface. Our hypothesis resolves some apparent anomalies in recent oxidation studies using oxygen isotopes, and integrates observations of microcrystallinity early in an oxidation process, and pulsed-laser atom probe analyses of intermediate layers at later stages in the oxide growth, into a consistent picture of the mechanism of the early stages of thermal oxidation