Controlling the fixed charge and passivation properties of Si(100)/Al(2)O(3) interfaces using ultrathin SiO(2) interlayers synthesized by atomic layer deposition

Al(2)O(3) synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on H-terminated Si(100) exhibits a very thin (similar to 1 nm) interfacial SiO(x) layer. At this interface, a high fixed negative charge density, Q(f), is present after annealing which contributes to ultralow surface recombination velocities similar to 5 nm), the polarity of the effective charge density changed from negative to positive. The observed changes in Q(f) and the associated field-effect passivation had a significant influence on the injection-level-dependent minority carrier lifetime of Si. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics.