Investigation of silicon interstitial reactions with insulating films using the silicon wafer bonding technique

The silicon wafer bonding technique of silicon implanted with oxygen (SIMOX) wafers is used to investigate the silicon interstitial reactions with a thin thermal oxide layer formed on the surface of one of the wafers before bonding. The silicon interstitials are generated by oxidation of the surface of selectively thinned bonded samples that form a silicon on insulator structure on the top of a SIMOX wafer. By monitoring the length of pregrown oxidation stacking faults we can calculate the diffusivity of the silicon interstitials transport vehicle in the thin oxide film for a temperature range widely used in silicon technology.