Methods for oxidizing a substrate surface using gas phase oxidizing radicals

Abstract

Various embodiments of methods are provided herein for oxidizing a surface of a semiconductor substrate. In the disclosed embodiments, gas-phase oxidizing free radicals are generated and used to oxidize an exposed surface of a material and form a thin oxide film there on. The gas-phase oxidizing free radicals are generated via ultraviolet (UV) photolysis of vaporized peroxide solutions. In some embodiments, an aqueous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution is vaporized and photolyzed with UV light to form gas-phase hydroxyl (HO*) free radicals, which oxidize the exposed surface of the material to form a thin oxide film on the exposed surface of the material.

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