Oxide thickness dependence of swift heavy ion-induced surface tracks formation in silicon dioxide on silicon structures at grazing incidence

The influence of the oxide thickness in the surface tracks formation in thin silicon dioxide layered-silicon substrate (SiO2-Si) irradiated with swift heavy ion is dealt with. In this respect, SiO2-Si samples with different oxide thicknesses have been characterized using atomic force microscopy before and after 7.51 MeV/u Xe ion irradiation at a grazing incident angle of 1° relative to the surface plane. Experimental evidence of the existence of a threshold thickness in the formation of swift heavy ion-induced surface tracks has been addressed and discussed according to the thermal spike theory. This experimental upshot can be helpful when assessing metal–oxide–semiconductor ultrathin-gate oxide reliability issues and for growth of silicon-based nanostructures.