Oxygen transport and GeO2 stability during thermal oxidation of Ge

Oxygen transport during thermal oxidation of Ge and desorption of the formed Ge oxide are investigated. Higher oxidation temperatures and lower oxygen pressures promote GeO desorption. An appreciable fraction of oxidized Ge desorbs during the growth of a GeO2 layer. The interplay between oxygen desorption and incorporation results in the exchange of O originally present in GeO2 by O from the gas phase throughout the oxide layer. This process is mediated by O vacancies generated at the GeO2/Ge interface. The formation of a substoichiometric oxide is shown to have direct relation with the GeO desorption. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4712619]