We present a study of the influence of H
2 as a carrier gas on the nucleation and growth of silicon quantum dots (Si-QDs) on SiO
2 by CVD. Compared with Si-QDs deposition from pure SiH
4, the ...dilution of SiH
4 in H
2 leads to a strong increase of the deposition time without significant modification of the Si-QDs morphology. The effects of doping gas, phosphine and diborane on Si-QDs nucleation and growth are also investigated. We show that the nucleation of Si-QDs is strongly dependent on the SiO
2 substrate surface chemistry. Si–OH groups are identified as nucleation sites for Si-QDs. We study the influence of H
2 carrier gas and doping gases on their impact on Si-QDs nucleation.
Al2O3 and HfO2 thin layers were deposited on either 0.7-nm chemical SiO2 surface layers, HF-dipped Si surfaces or on HF-dipped Si surfaces with an innovative Cl2 surface treatment. This chemical ...treatment leads to the formation of one mono-layer of -OH groups on the silicon surface without any SiOx growth. Thicknesses, composition, and structure of the high-k layers as well as the nature of their interfaces with silicon were studied using spectrometric ellipsometry, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). While deposition on a HF-dipped Si surface led to a nucleation retardation and to a 3-dimensional growth mode, high-quality, uniform Al2O3 layers were obtained on a Cl2-treated Si surface. XPS and ATR analyses showed a very small SiOx regrowth, less than 0.26 nm during deposition.
Al sub(2)O sub(3) and HfO sub(2) thin layers were deposited on either 0.7-nm chemical SiO sub(2) surface layers, HF-dipped Si surfaces or on HF-dipped Si surfaces with an innovative Cl sub(2) surface ...treatment. This chemical treatment leads to the formation of one mono-layer of -OH groups on the silicon surface without any SiO sub(x) growth. Thicknesses, composition, and structure of the high-k layers as well as the nature of their interfaces with silicon were studied using spectrometric ellipsometry, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). While deposition on a HF-dipped Si surface led to a nucleation retardation and to a 3-dimensional growth mode, high-quality, uniform Al sub(2)O sub(3) layers were obtained on a Cl sub(2)-treated Si surface. XPS and ATR analyses showed a very small SiO sub(x) regrowth, less than 0.26 nm during deposition.
