A systematic study to investigate the effects of x-ray exposure on electrical properties of silicon dioxide thin films using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is generally used for chemical analysis of surfaces and interfaces. This method involves the analysis of changes in binding energies and peak shapes of elements under consideration. It is also possible to use XPS to study the effect of x-ray radiation on the electrical properties of thin films. We measured the Si 2p peak using x-ray powers of 300 and 150 W on ∼135 nm silicon dioxide (SiO2) thin films grown on both n- and p-type substrates while applying DC or AC external biases. Using the shifts in the binding energy of the Si 2p peak, we calculated the resistances and the capacitances of the SiO2 thin film. The way that the binding energies of the Si 2p peak and the capacitance of the thin film change as a function of the type of Si substrate and the power of the x-ray are explained using band bending.