Behavior of incorporated nitrogen in plasma-nitrided silicon oxide formed by chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

The behavior of nitrogen (N) atoms in plasma-nitrided silicon oxide (SiO2) formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was characterized by physical analysis and from electrical properties. The changes in the chemical bonding and distribution of N in plasma-nitrided SiO2 were investigated for different subsequent processes. N–Si3, N–Si2O, and N2 are formed in a SiO2 film by plasma nitridation. N2 molecules diffuse out during annealing at temperatures higher than 900 °C. NH species are generated from N2 molecules and H in the SiO2 film with subsequent oxide deposition using O3 as an oxidant. The capacitance–voltage (C–V) curves of metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) capacitors are obtained. The negative shift of the C–V curve is caused by the increase in the density of positive fix charge traps in CVD-SiO2 induced by plasma nitridation. The C–V curve of plasma-nitrided SiO2 subjected to annealing shifts to the positive direction and that subjected to the subsequent oxide deposition shifts markedly to the negative direction. It is clarified that the density of positive charge fixed traps in plasma-nitrided SiO2 films decrease because the amount of N2 molecules is decreased by annealing, and that the density of traps increases because NH species are generated and move to the interface between SiO2 and the Si substrate with the subsequent oxide deposition.