Growth kinetics of oxidation-induced stacking faults in silicon: A new concept

It is reasonable to assume that the volume increase of about 120% associated with the formation of a SiO2 molecule from a Si atom during thermal oxidation of Si is facilitated by viscoelastic flow of the newly formed SiO2 layer at the SiO2-Si interface. This flow is driven by a compressive plane stress. We propose that it is this stress which gives rise to a supersaturation of Si self-interstitials in the Si crystal, and that consequently the growth kinetics of oxidation-induced stacking faults is determined by the kinetics of the viscoelastic flow of the SiO2.