This chapter introduces the readers to the oxidation process focusing on
silicon. It establishes the importance of oxidation in a silicon process and discusses
the thermal oxidation process and its growth mechanism in depth. Towards the end,
a detailed discussion on the oxide film characterization and its properties is provided.
After reading this chapter, the readers are expected to have a sound knowledge of the
oxidation process as a whole and its significance in the silicon processing industry.
Keywords: Oxidation, Silicon dioxide, Deal-Grove Model, Kinetics, Thin film oxides, Oxide-induced defects.
