The effects of ambient and dissolved oxygen concentration in UPW on native oxide growth were studied at room temperature using a HF-cleaned silicon (100) surface. The studies were focused on the initial stage of the surface oxidation immediately after the HF-cleaning. The silicon surfaces were exposed at a fixed duration to the UPW with different dissolved oxygen concentrations, open air, and dry nitrogen respectively. The SiO2 equivalent thicknesses of the native oxides formed on those surfaces were then measured and compared. The results obtained indicate that the ambient and the dissolved oxygen concentration in UPW dramatically affect the growth rate of the native oxide on the silicon surfaces. Read more