Diffusion of Iron in Silicon Dioxide

A quantitative analysis of diffusion of iron in silicon dioxide is presented. A source of iron deposited on the surface of thermally oxidized silicon wafers was diffused at temperatures ranging from 700-1100°C in an inert (nitrogen) ambient. The iron concentration in and Si was measured using total reflection X‐ray fluorescence, deep level transient spectroscopy, and surface photo‐voltage techniques. A two‐boundary diffusion model was applied to the experimental data to determine the diffusivity and segregation coefficient of iron in . It is observed that iron diffusivity in follows the Arrhenius relationship and has a thermal activation energy of 1.51 eV. Iron exhibits a strong tendency to segregate into silicon dioxide and has a value of at 1000°C. where . © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.