Integrated Circuit Fabrication Science and Technology

The interface between a semiconductor and an insulator often determines the viability of the material combination in device structures. Silicon is unique in nature, at least among the semiconductors, for having a robust, reliable oxide that can be grown on its surface. The interface between Si and SiO2 is perhaps the most carefully studied of all material interfaces, and is probably the principal reason why silicon has been the dominant semiconductor material. The fact is that silicon naturally oxidizes in the sense that it can be simply placed in a furnace at high temperature with oxygen or water vapor and one obtains a nice, stable dielectric material that is essentially electrically perfect. This distinguishes silicon from all the other simple column IV semiconductor materials. Germanium can be oxidized, but its oxide is soluble in water, which makes it very hard to do any sort of chemical processing.