Thermal oxidation method utilizing atomic oxygen to reduce dangling bonds in silicon dioxide grown on silicon

A method of thermally oxidizing silicon to form a layer of silicon dioxide on a surface of the silicon, the method comprising:

• placing the silicon and a ceramic material in a furnace;
• introducing an inert gas into the furnace;
• pre-heating the surface of the silicon to a first temperature in the presence of the inert gas such that the presence of the inert gas substantially inhibits oxidation of the silicon surface during the pre-heating step;
• passing oxygen gas through the ceramic material, and simultaneously heating the ceramic material to a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature such that the passing of the oxygen gas through the heated ceramic material generates atomic oxygen that reacts with the silicon to form the layer of silicon dioxide on the surface of the silicon.

A method of thermally oxidizing a silicon substrate to form a layer of silicon dioxide on the surface of the silicon substrate, the method comprising:

• placing the silicon substrate and ceramic material in a fast ramp furnace;
• introducing an inert gas into the fast ramp furnace;
• pre-heating the silicon substrate to a first temperature in the presence of the inert gas such that the presence of the inert gas substantially inhibits oxidation of the silicon substrate during the pre-heating step;
• passing chlorine gas through the ceramic material such that the chlorine gas dissociates to generate atomic chlorine for pre-cleaning the surface of the silicon substrate;
• removing chlorine constituents from the fast ramp furnace;
• passing oxygen gas through the ceramic material, and simultaneously heating the ceramic material to a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature such that the passing of the oxygen gas through the heated ceramic material generates atomic oxygen that reacts with the silicon substrate to form the layer of silicon dioxide on the surface of the silicon substrate.