Which mechanism limits oxidation rate uniformity in silicon nanowire fabrication via thermal oxidation within dense arrays?

💡 Explanation

When silicon nanowires are densely packed, the growing oxide layers become very thin, and quantum tunneling occurs allowing oxygen to pass through formed oxide, slowing further growth, reducing the effective oxidation rate in certain crowded regions. Therefore, quantum tunneling explains rate nonuniformity, rather than stress, energy, or doping effects, which are separate phenomena requiring different physical conditions.

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