Oxide-Mediated Solid Phase Epitaxy (OMSPE) of Silicon: A New Low-Temperature Epitaxy Technique Using Intentionally Grown Native Oxide

A new low-temperature epitaxial technique is proposed, which utilizes the native oxide on the Si surface. A good quality epitaxial Si layer can be obtained using solid phase epitaxy (SPE), mediated by an intentionally grown native oxide layer on the Si substrate. Oxygen coverage of 0.25 ML was determined to be most suitable for obtaining defect-free epitaxy. The mechanism of this new epitaxial technique is presented, based on a detailed investigation of defect formation due to the oxygen at the interface.