Silicon-Hydrogen Bonds in Silicon Native Oxides Formed during Wet Chemical Treatments

Silicon-hydrogen bonds in silicon oxide films were detected for the first time by applying surface-sensitive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and were confirmed by measuring infrared absorption. The areal density of silicon-hydrogen bonds in native oxides formed in a hot solution of HNO3 is estimated to be nearly 2×1014 cm-2, and is much larger than that formed in a solution with a composition of NH4OH:H2O2:H2O=1:1.4:4.