High-rate, low-temperature deposition of multifunctional nano-crystalline silicon nitride films

• Published in: Journal of Information Display Vol. 11; no. 3; pp. 109 - 112
• Main Authors: Hwang, Jae-Dam, Lee, Kyoung-Min, Keum, Ki-Su, Lee, Youn-Jin, Hong, Wan-Shick
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.09.2010; 한국정보디스플레이학회
• Subjects: low-temperature deposition; nanocrystalline-Si; PECVD; SiN; 전기공학
• ISSN: 1598-0316; 2158-1606
• DOI: 10.1080/15980316.2010.9656255

The solid phase compositions and dielectric properties of silicon nitride (SiN x ) films prepared using the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique at a low temperature (200°C) were studied. Controlling the source gas mixing ratio, R = [N 2 ]/[SiH 4 ], and the plasma power successfully produced both silicon-rich and nitrogen-rich compositions in the final films. The composition parameter, X, varied from 0.83 to 1.62. Depending on the film composition, the dielectric properties of the SiN x films also varied substantially. Silicon-rich silicon nitride (SRSN) films were obtained at a low plasma power and a low R. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of these films revealed the existence of nano-sized silicon particles even in the absence of a post-annealing process. Nitrogen-rich silicon nitride (NRSN) films were obtained at a high plasma power and a high R. These films showed a fairly high dielectric constant (κ = 7.1) and a suppressed hysteresis window in their capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics.