Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of Initial Nitridation Processes on Oxidized Si(100) Surface with Radical Nitrogen

We have investigated the initial nitridation processes on oxidized Si(100) with radical nitrogen at a substrate temperature of 850°C using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). It is found that the thin oxide layer suppresses the changes of original Si step structures during nitridation, and this effect critically depends on the growth conditions of the oxide layer. Comparison of the nitride island morphology to the case of the clean surface suggests that the migration of the precursor during nitridation is suppressed by the oxygen in the layer.