Optical and structural properties of SiOxNyHz films deposited by electron cyclotron resonance and their correlation with composition

Abstract

SiO x N y H z films were deposited from O 2 , N 2 , and SiH 4 gas mixtures at room temperature using the electron cyclotron resonance plasma method. The absolute concentrations of all the species present in the films ͑Si, O, N, and H͒ were measured with high precision by heavy-ion elastic recoil detection analysis. The composition of the films was controlled over the whole composition range by adjusting the precursor gases flow ratio during deposition. The relative incorporation of O and N is determined by the ratio Qϭ(O 2 )/(SiH 4 ) and the relative content of Si is determined by R ϭ͓(O 2 )ϩ(N 2 )͔/(SiH 4 ) where (SiH 4 ), (O 2 ), and (N 2 ) are the SiH 4 , O 2 , and N 2 gas flows, respectively. The optical properties ͑infrared absorption and refractive index͒ and the density of paramagnetic defects were analyzed in dependence on the film composition. Single-phase homogeneous films were obtained at low SiH 4 partial pressure during deposition; while those samples deposited at high SiH 4 partial pressure show evidence of separation of two phases. The refractive index was controlled over the whole range between silicon nitride and silicon oxide, with values slightly lower than in stoichiometric films due to the incorporation of H, which results in a lower density of the films. The most important paramagnetic defects detected in the films were the K center and the EЈ center. Defects related to N were also detected in some samples. The total density of defects in SiO x N y H z films was higher than in SiO 2 and lower than in silicon nitride films.

Nitridation of Si by N[sub 2] Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma and Integration with ScO[sub x] Deposition

“…In a previous work, we correlated the position of the main absorption band with the composition of SiO x N y films deposited using the same reactor. 26 The presence of O in the deposited films was detected even when O was unintentionally introduced in the plasma atmosphere. Additionally, a maximum of the Si-O/Si-N stretching band at 900 cm −1 was found for a composition characterized by…”

Scandium oxide deposited by high-pressure sputtering for memory devices: Physical and interfacial properties

“…Stoichiometric Si 3 N 4 has a stretching vibration mode 22 at 835 cm −1 so we attribute the measured band to the formation of SiN x during the nitridation process. The shift toward higher wave numbers may be related to O incorporation 23 to this passivation layer as a contamination from the ECR quartz chamber. Also, the width of the band points to a quite disordered layer.…”

Optical properties and structure of HfO2thin films grown by high pressure reactive sputtering

“…Over the past years plenty of work has been done with several dielectric materials such as silicon nitrides [3,4,5,6] and oxynitrides [7,8,9], while nitridation of the oxide layer has been used by the semiconductor industry to reduce tunneling currents through the gate dielectric [10]. However, at the present scale of integration (65 nm process generation), the oxynitride has to be so thin (less than 1.7 nm) that tunneling currents impose severe limitations to the performance of the transistors [10].…”