Mechanical and electrical properties of RF magnetron sputter deposited amorphous silicon-rich silicon nitride thin films

Dergez, D.; Schneider, Michael; Bittner, A.; Pawlak, N.; Schmid, Ulrich

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2016.03.029

Cited by 8 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…DC or RF magnetron sputtering were the deposition techniques of choice for PVD, although the deposition rates for RF magnetron sputtered SiN x were significantly lower than their DC counterparts. 74,116 Furthermore, the DC magnetron sputtered SiN x films exhibited superior chemical and physical properties than their RF magnetron sputtered analogs, while displaying equivalent electrical characteristics in MEMS devices.…”

Section: Physical Vapor Deposition (Pvd)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In DC magnetron sputter work, 116 it was shown that the N 2 plasma back pressure played a key role in modulating the N/Si ratio in the resulting SiN x films, with higher back pressures leading to increased N content in the films. Alternatively, in another report, the N/Si ratio in SiN x films was controlled by employing RF Magnetron sputtering to produce Si-rich films, and PE-CVD to yield N-rich films.…”

Section: Ecs Journal Of Solid State Science and Technology 6 (10) P6mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Review—Silicon Nitride and Silicon Nitride-Rich Thin Film Technologies: Trends in Deposition Techniques and Related Applications

Kaloyeros

Jové

Goff

et al. 2017

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

127

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This article provides an overview of the state-of-the-art chemistry and processing technologies for silicon nitride and silicon nitride-rich films, i.e., silicon nitride with C inclusion, both in hydrogenated (SiNx:H and SiNx:H(C)) and non-hydrogenated (SiNx and SiNx(C)) forms. The emphasis is on emerging trends and innovations in these SiNx material system technologies, with focus on Si and N source chemistries and thin film growth processes, including their primary effects on resulting film properties. It also illustrates that SiNx and its SiNx(C) derivative are the focus of an ever-growing research and manufacturing interest and that their potential usages are expanding into new technological areas.

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Section: Physical Vapor Deposition (Pvd)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Ecs Journal Of Solid State Science and Technology 6 (10) P6mentioning

confidence: 99%

Review—Silicon Nitride and Silicon Nitride-Rich Thin Film Technologies: Trends in Deposition Techniques and Related Applications

Kaloyeros

Jové

Goff

et al. 2017

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

127

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…[70][71][72] The most widely reported mechanisms for electrical transport in ultra-low-k films are essentially Ohmic, Poole-Frenkel, or Schottky conductions depending on the electric field range, the chemistry of the injecting electrode or the dielectric barrier, [40,73,39] Ohmic conduction is usually observed in low field ranges. [74,52,75] It only depends on the constant carrier density and mobility, leading to a linear relationship between current density and electric field. In contrast, Poole-Frenkel and Schottky conductions are highly nonlinear: the emission of free carriers is promoted by the local electric field through the lowering of an energy barrier.…”

Section: Conduction Mechanism Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of Plasticity‐Driven Conductivity Drop in an Ultra‐Low‐k Dielectric Organosilicate Glass

Rusinowicz

Volpi

Parry

et al. 2022

Adv Funct Materials

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Advanced devices (for microelectronics, energy storage, power sourcing) are complex architectures of metals and dielectrics subjected to harsh mechanical stresses. The functional reliability of the embedded dielectrics is driven by their ability to preserve their electrical properties (such as leakage and breakdown). Accordingly, understanding the interplay between the mechanical and electrical behaviors of dielectric films is critical to predict the lifetime of functional devices. In this study, the effect of plastic deformation on the electrical conduction of an ultra‐low‐k dielectric film is elucidated by combining in situ advanced experiments and finite element modeling. Experimentally, “electrical‐nanoindentation” tests emphasize the strong correlation between electrical and mechanical failures (leakage degradation, breakdown, plasticity, cracking). These experiments also reveal a counterintuitive electrical conduction drop under high mechanical stresses. This phenomenon is reproduced numerically by correcting the Poole–Frenkel conduction law with a strain‐dependent factor, and described analytically in terms of space‐charge build‐up induced by the trapping of holes at the mechanically generated defects. A threshold strain is identified as the keystone relating this strain‐dependent conduction to the current line distribution within the dielectric. This study provides a new understanding of the mechanical/electrical couplings in dielectrics, which opens promising insights into reliability issues for advanced devices.

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“…SiNx layers can be deposited by a sputtering system, utilizing either direct current (DC) or radio frequency (RF) power delivery systems. Dergez et al characterized SiNx layers sputtered by DC [ 75 ] and RF [ 76 ] power supplies. They found that in the case of the DC power supply, the deposition rate was proportional to the utilized power.…”

Section: Physical Vapor Depositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silicon Nitride and Hydrogenated Silicon Nitride Thin Films: A Review of Fabrication Methods and Applications

Hegedűs

Balázsi

2021

Materials

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Silicon nitride (SiNx) and hydrogenated silicon nitride (SiNx:H) thin films enjoy widespread scientific interest across multiple application fields. Exceptional combination of optical, mechanical, and thermal properties allows for their utilization in several industries, from solar and semiconductor to coated glass production. The wide bandgap (~5.2 eV) of thin films allows for its optoelectronic application, while the SiNx layers could act as passivation antireflective layers or as a host matrix for silicon nano-inclusions (Si-ni) for solar cell devices. In addition, high water-impermeability of SiNx makes it a potential candidate for barrier layers of organic light emission diodes (OLEDs). This work presents a review of the state-of-the-art process techniques and applications of SiNx and SiNx:H thin films. We focus on the trends and latest achievements of various deposition processes of recent years. Historically, different kinds of chemical vapor deposition (CVD), such as plasma enhanced (PE-CVD) or hot wire (HW-CVD), as well as electron cyclotron resonance (ECR), are the most common deposition methods, while physical vapor deposition (PVD), which is primarily sputtering, is also widely used. Besides these fabrication methods, atomic layer deposition (ALD) is an emerging technology due to the fact that it is able to control the deposition at the atomic level and provide extremely thin SiNx layers. The application of these three deposition methods is compared, while special attention is paid to the effect of the fabrication method on the properties of SiNx thin films, particularly the optical, mechanical, and thermal properties.

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Mechanical and electrical properties of RF magnetron sputter deposited amorphous silicon-rich silicon nitride thin films

Cited by 8 publications

References 30 publications

Review—Silicon Nitride and Silicon Nitride-Rich Thin Film Technologies: Trends in Deposition Techniques and Related Applications

Review—Silicon Nitride and Silicon Nitride-Rich Thin Film Technologies: Trends in Deposition Techniques and Related Applications

Evidence of Plasticity‐Driven Conductivity Drop in an Ultra‐Low‐k Dielectric Organosilicate Glass

Silicon Nitride and Hydrogenated Silicon Nitride Thin Films: A Review of Fabrication Methods and Applications

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