Thermal oxidation in wet oxygen of reactive ion-beam sputter-deposited silicon nitride films

• Published in: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Vol. 138; no. 4; pp. 1084 - 1089
• Main Authors: FOURRIER, A, BOSSEBOEUF, A, BOUCHIER, D, GAUTHERIN, G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pennington, NJ Electrochemical Society 01.04.1991
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Exact sciences and technology; Physics; Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces; Surface and interface dynamics and vibrations; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Crystal growth; Heat treatment; Semiconductor materials; Ion beam sputtering; Silicon Nitrides; Kinetics; Silicon IV Oxides; Experimental study; Chemical vapor deposition; Auger electron spectrometry; Thin film
• ISSN: 0013-4651; 1945-7111
• DOI: 10.1149/1.2085720

Oxidation kinetics of silicon nitride films in wet oxygen at 900 and 1000 C, deposited at room temperature by ion-beam sputtering is studied, using quasistoichiometry (N/Si = 1.4) and silicon-rich (N/Si = 0.8) material. The results are compared with similar experiments on low-pressure CVD silicon nitride and bare silicon substrates. The optical properties of silicon nitride bulk and the thickness of the layer formed during oxidation were measured by ellipsometry and characterised in depth by Auger profiles. Refractive index of ion-beam sputter-deposited films decreased during oxidation. This variation is explained by a reduction of disorder in the layer. The Auger analysis of oxidised silicon nitride film shws a three-layer system SiO2/SixNyO2/Si3N4 for the two compositons used. The intermediate oxynitride layer, of homogeneous compositionin stoichiometric films, is thicker for the silicon-rick films and its composition is variable with depth. The oxidation rate remains the same for the two compositions used. The experimental data are analysed using published oxidation models. 29 refs.