A model which was based upon the space-charge assisted diffusion of O- was proposed in order to describe rapid thermal oxidation kinetics in a dry O ambient. The space-charge region within the growing oxide layer was assumed to have a constant planar charge density which resulted in a characteristic length: the extent of the space-charge region. The diffusion of O-, and therefore the oxide growth rate, was expected to be driven by 2 components. These were the concentration gradient and the space-charge drift. A discrepancy in the calculated values of the diffusion activation energies for O- was explained by comparing the strength of the space-charge regions. The latter strength depended upon the range of photon energies of the lamps which were used for rapid thermal treatment.

A.Kazor: Journal of Applied Physics, 1995, 77[4], 1477-81