Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
Gate-quality SiO2/Si(100) interfaces were reproducibly fabricated using a two-step remote plasma-assisted oxidation/thin-film deposition processing sequence at temperatures between 200 and 300°C. The pre-deposition oxidation creates approximately 0.5nm of SiO2, and produces an SiO2/Si interface with a midgap trap density of ∼1.3×1010cm−2eV−1. The MOS capacitors prepared by this technique have properties comparable to those with thermal oxides grown at 850–1050°C. These capacitors also show a longer minority-carrier life time in the underlying Si than samples prepared using other pre-deposition treatment methods.