Rapid Thermal Process for Crystallization Silicon Nitride Films

Abstract

Synthesis and characterisation of silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) materials are carried out. We investigated the morphological and structural Si NCs embedded in the silicon nitride (SiN x ) matrix. The study has been carried out on thin films thermally annealed at high temperature by rapid thermal annealing after deposition at 380°C by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition. Our study evidenced the existence of an Si NCs embedded on the SiN x matrix. This has been proven by Raman spectra and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). A sharp peak at a frequency of 515 cm −1 ascribed to the transverse optical (TO) mode becomes broader and makes a symmetric shoulder on the higher frequency side with an increase in the annealing temperature. HR-TEM analyses have demonstrated that Si NCs having a mean radius ranging between 3 and 5 nm. This confirms the a-SiN phase transition to the c-SiN phase by the formation of silicon NCs.

Review—Silicon Nitride and Silicon Nitride-Rich Thin Film Technologies: State-of-the-Art Processing Technologies, Properties, and Applications

“…• Host matrix for Si nanocrystals (Si-NCs) and quantum dots (QDs), deuterated SiN (SiN:D) waveguide in non-linear integrated photonics, low-loss SiN x for SiN waveguide buses, and bottom and encapsulation layer for embedded QDs in a triple SiN x /QD/SiN x stack structure for on-chip quantum dot QD/SiN lasers in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for applications in Si nanophotonics systems, photoluminescence, photovoltaics, data storage, and optoelectronics. 36,40,45,50,51,54,57 • CMOS-compatible amorphous film with a bulk second-order nonlinearity through strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) for on-chip photonic devices. 34 • Gold (Au) nanorods embedded in nano-structured SiN x film to improve the reliability of MEMS switches with respect to dielectric charging phenomena in capacitive RF MEMS switches.…”