Effect of Additional Oxygen on Formation of Silicon Oxynitride Using Nitrogen Plasma Generated near Atmospheric Pressure

Abstract

We report that ultrathin silicon nitride films can be fabricated using N2 plasma near atmospheric pressure. In this paper, we describe the effect of additional oxygen on the formation of oxynitride films. Silicon oxynitride films were formed at an oxygen flow rate as low as 2.5 mL/min with a nitrogen flow rate of 10 L/min, in which the introduction of such a small amount of additional oxygen into the nitrogen plasma generated near atmospheric pressure enhances the oxidation reaction. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy analysis revealed that with increasing oxygen flow rate, the composition of the oxynitride films changed from Si3N3.5O0.7 to Si3N0.8O4.6. Optical emission spectroscopy showed emission peaks attributed to NO-γ transition as well as to the N2 second-positive system in the plasma discharge space. Emissions from the NO-γ transition show the dissociation of additional oxygen molecules, and active species such as oxygen atoms as well as NO and N2O molecules were generated by collisions between the N2(A3Σu +) and the O2(X3Σg -) states, resulting in the enhancement of Si oxidation near atmospheric pressure. Leakage current density decreases with increasing in the oxygen concentration. The 2.1-nm-thick silicon oxynitride film composed of Si3N0.8O4.6 showed a leakage current density as low as 3.5×10-4 A/cm2 at 5 MV/cm.

Spatially varying chemical phase formation on silicon nano ripple by low energy mixed ions bombardment

“…Hence the silicon oxide and nitride are formed more compared to silicon carbide at lower ion fluence (table 2). It is also obvious that the additional oxygen or nitrogen incorporation by continuous mixed ions bombardment leads to silicon oxynitride formation [54]. Although the activation energy of carbide formation is high, carbon ions react with the silicon and forms silicon carbide.…”

Chemical Vapor Deposition of Inorganic Thin Films using Atmospheric Plasma : A Review of Research Trend

“…이처럼 대기압 플라즈마를 이용한 화학기상증착 을 이용한 실리콘 질화물 증착 공정은 질화반응을 방해하는 외부로부터의 산소 및 기타 불순물의 침 투를 차단하는 것이 반응기 주변의 외부환경을 제 어하는 것과 더불어 가장 중요한 문제라 할 수 있 으며 그에 따른 외부 환경의 영향에 대한 연구 결 과가 보고되고 있다 45) . 이러한 질화반응의 어려움 때문에 유기계열 소스 가 아닌 실리콘 전구체로써 SiH 4 가스를 사용한 연 구 결과도 있다 [57][58][59] . 질화박막을 얻기 위해 대부분 .…”

Orientation Control of ZnO Films Deposited Using Nonequilibrium Atmospheric Pressure N2/O2Plasma

“…Our research group has reported the room-temperature nitridation of Si [21][22][23] and Ge, 24) and dense SiO 2 can also be formed using AP N 2 plasma with a small amount of O 2 even in the downstream (remote) region. 25,26) Moreover, we have succeeded in the formation of ZnO films at a substrate temperature as low as 200 C using AP N 2 /O 2 plasma. These films had weak (0001) preferred orientation, with the diffraction from ( 1011).…”