Deal-Grove Silicon Thermal Oxidation Calculator
Semiconductor device physics & wafer processing: Model thermal silicon dioxide ($SiO_2$) growth kinetics, linear and parabolic rate regimes, and consumed silicon thickness.
Furnace Oxidation Parameters
Oxide Thickness & Rate Regimes
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Tested hardware and components for high reliability
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does wet oxidation grow so much faster than dry oxidation?
The solubility of water vapor (H2O) in silicon dioxide is roughly 1000 times greater than that of molecular oxygen (O2). Even though H2O has a slightly lower diffusion coefficient, its far higher dissolved concentration drives a much larger parabolic rate constant B, growing thick field oxides in a fraction of the time.
Why does growing 100 nm of oxide consume 44 nm of silicon?
Molecular density of silicon is 5.0 × 10²² atoms/cm³, while SiO2 molecular density is 2.2 × 10²² molecules/cm³. By conservation of silicon atoms, growing an oxide film of thickness xo consumes 0.44 xo of underlying silicon substrate.
What causes the vivid interference colors of thermal oxide on silicon?
Because SiO2 is transparent with a refractive index of n ≈ 1.46 on reflective silicon, white light reflected from the air-oxide and oxide-silicon interfaces undergoes constructive and destructive optical interference. Specific wavelengths cancel according to 2 · n · d = (m + 1/2)λ, producing distinct vibrant colors keyed directly to nanometer-level film thickness.