Retarded thermal oxidation of strained Si substrate

Strained Si is recognized as a necessary technology booster for modern integrated circuit technology. However, the thermal oxidation behaviors of strained Si substrates are not well understood yet despite their importance. In this study, we for the first time experimentally find that all types of strained Si substrates (uniaxial tensile, uniaxial compressive, biaxial tensile, and biaxial compressive) show smaller thermal oxidation rates than an unstrained Si substrate. The possible mechanisms for these retarded thermal oxidation rates in strained Si substrates are also discussed.