An investigation of the hydration properties of chemically vapour-deposited silicon dioxide films by means of ellipsometry

Time-dependent ellipsometric measurements were made of the water absoprtion in SiO2 films grown by chemical vapour deposition at low temperatures. These films were exposed to water vapour at different pressurures. We determined in the ellipsometric volume percentage of water in the oxide film from the changes in the ellipsometric parameters due to water absorption. We also obtained a diffusion coefficient of water of the order of 1.3 x 10-13 cm2 s-1. From the reversible changes in the ellipsometric parameters due to dehydration we conclude that the water is physically adsorbed.