Provision of reproducible thin layers of silicon dioxide

Claim 1

A METHOD OF REPRODUCIBLY PROVIDING IN SEPARATEY PERFORMED PROCEDURES, A THIN LAYER OF SILCON DIXODE OF A PRESELECTED THICKNESS LESS THAN IN THE ORDER OF 100A ON SILCON BODIES, COMPRISING: CLEANING A SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID BODIES, THRMALLY GROWING ON SAID SURFACE A FIRST LAYER O SILICON DIXOIDE HAVING A THICKNESS GREATER THAN SAID PRESELECTED THICKNESS, REMOVING SAID FIRST LAYER WITHOUT EXPOSURE OF SAID SURFACES TO AN OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE TO PROVIDE A SIMILARLY CLEAN SURFACE ON ALL OF SAID BODIES. AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF SAID REMOVING STEP AND AT THE SAME PRE-SET TIME WITHIN 3 MINUTES OF ANY EXPOSURE OF SAID BODIES TO AN OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE PROVIDING BY NORMAL ROOM CONDITIONS, PREHEATING SAID BODIES AT A TEMPRATURE BETWEEN 100* AND 200*C IN A SUBSTATIALLY INDENTICAL ATMOSPHRE OF PRESELECTED DEW POINT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND WETNESS OF THE SURFACES OF SAID BODIES FROM PROCEDUURE TO PROCEDURE, AND THEREAFTER, THERMALLY OXIDIZING SAID SURFACES AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THAT USED IN SAID PRE-HEATING STEP TO PROVIDE A SILICON DIOXIDE LAYER THEREON OFSAID PRE-SELECTED THICKNESS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF REPRODUCIBLY PROVIDING IN SEPARATEY PERFORMED PROCEDURES, A THIN LAYER OF SILCON DIXODE OF A PRESELECTED THICKNESS LESS THAN IN THE ORDER OF 100A ON SILCON BODIES, COMPRISING: CLEANING A SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID BODIES, THRMALLY GROWING ON SAID SURFACE A FIRST LAYER O SILICON DIXOIDE HAVING A THICKNESS GREATER THAN SAID PRESELECTED THICKNESS, REMOVING SAID FIRST LAYER WITHOUT EXPOSURE OF SAID SURFACES TO AN OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE TO PROVIDE A SIMILARLY CLEAN SURFACE ON ALL OF SAID BODIES. AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF SAID REMOVING STEP AND AT THE SAME PRE-SET TIME WITHIN 3 MINUTES OF ANY EXPOSURE OF SAID BODIES TO AN OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE PROVIDING BY NORMAL ROOM CONDITIONS, PREHEATING SAID BODIES AT A TEMPRATURE BETWEEN 100* AND 200*C IN A SUBSTATIALLY INDENTICAL ATMOSPHRE OF PRESELECTED DEW POINT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND WETNESS OF THE SURFACES OF SAID BODIES FROM PROCEDUURE TO PROCEDURE, AND THEREAFTER, THERMALLY OXIDIZING SAID SURFACES AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THAT USED IN SAID PRE-HEATING STEP TO PROVIDE A SILICON DIOXIDE LAYER THEREON OFSAID PRE-SELECTED THICKNESS.

Claim 5

A method of reproducibly providing, in separately performed procedures, a thin layer of silicon dioxide of a preselected thickness less than in the order of 100 A on silicon bodies comprising: cleaning a surface of each of said bodies, thermally growing on said surfaces a first layer of silicon dioxide havIng a thickness greater than 100 A, removing said first layer without exposure of said surfaces to an oxidizing atmosphere to provide a similarly clean surface on all of said bodies, exposing said bodies to an oxidizing atmosphere provided by normal room conditions for the same pre-set time not in excess of two minutes allowing the formation of a spontaneous layer of silicon dioxide on said surfaces but of a thickness not exceeding a preselected amount substantially less than said preselected thickness, pre-heating said bodies at a temperature in the range between 100* and 200*C in a substantially identical atmosphere of preselected dew point for a limited time sufficient to provide substantially identical conditions of temperature and wetness of said surfaces while restricting the increase of the thickness of said spontaneous layer to a preselected rate, and thereafter, thermally oxidizing said surfaces at a temperature substantially greater than said pre-heating temperature to further increase, at a rate greater than that of said pre-heating step, the thickness of said silicon dioxide layer to said preselected thickness.

Claim 6

A method of reproducibly providing, in separately performed procedures, a thin layer of silicon dioxide of a preselected thickness less than in the order of 100 A on silicon bodies comprising: cleaning a surface of each of said bodies, thermally growing on said surfaces a first layer of silicon dioxide havIng a thickness greater than 100 A, removing said first layer without exposure of said surfaces to an oxidizing atmosphere to provide a similarly clean surface on all of said bodies, exposing said bodies to an oxidizing atmosphere provided by normal room conditions for the same pre-set time not in excess of two minutes allowing the formation of a spontaneous layer of silicon dioxide on said surfaces but of a thickness not exceeding a preselected amount substantially less than said preselected thickness, pre-heating said bodies at a temperature in the range between 100* and 200*C in a substantially identical atmosphere of preselected dew point for a limited time sufficient to provide substantially identical conditions of temperature and wetness of said surfaces while restricting the increase of the thickness of said spontaneous layer to a preselected rate, and thereafter, thermally oxidizing said surfaces at a temperature substantially greater than said pre-heating temperature to further increase, at a rate greater than that of said pre-heating step, the thickness of said silicon dioxide layer to said preselected thickness.