Effect of selective oxidation conditions on defect generation in gate oxide

We studied the effect of selective oxidation conditions on gate oxide characteristics. Selective oxidation in hydrogen-rich wet ambient at 850°C-950°C was found to generate defects both at the SiO₂/Si interface and in oxide bulk, resulting in a higher stress-induced leakage current. The degradation of the device can be explained by the incorporation of hydrogen into the gate oxide during a high-temperature selective oxidation process. The plasma reoxidation process induced fewer defects due to radical oxidation at low temperature.