Structural and morphological studies on SiOxNy thin films

• Published in: Journal of non-crystalline solids Vol. 354; no. 19-25; pp. 2809 - 2815
• Main Authors: Criado, D., Zúñiga, A., Pereyra, I.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.05.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Atomic absorption; Chemical vapor deposition; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Cold working, work hardening; annealing, quenching, tempering, recovery, and recrystallization; textures; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Physics; Plasma deposition; Rutherford backscattering; Silicon; STEM/TEM; TEM/STEM; Treatment of materials and its effects on microstructure and properties; X-ray absorption; 61.05.cj; Rutherford backscattering; 68.55.aj; 68.37.Og; Atomic absorption; STEM/TEM; Silicon; 81.15.Gh; X-ray absorption; Chemical vapor deposition; Plasma deposition; TEM/STEM; RBS; Annealing; Inorganic compounds; XANES; Silicon nitride; Silicon; Chemical vapor deposition; Plasma deposition; Atomic absorption; Rutherford backscattering; STEM/TEM; TEM/STEM; X-ray absorption; Silicon Oxynitrides; Composition effect; Thin films; CVD; Transmission electron microscopy; X-ray absorption spectra; Silicon oxides; 81.15.Gh; 68.37.Og; 68.55.aj; 61.05.cj; Chemical composition; PECVD; Scanning transmission electron microscopy; Microstructure; Nanocrystal
• ISSN: 0022-3093; 1873-4812
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2007.09.063

In this work, the structure and morphology of silicon oxynitride films deposited by the PECVD technique were studied. The films were deposited under two different conditions: (a) SiOxNy with chemical compositions varying from SiO2 to Si3N4 via the control of a N2O+N2+SiH4 gas mixture, and (b) Si-rich SiOxNy films via the control of a N2O+SiH4 gas mixture. The analyses were performed using X-ray near edge spectroscopy (XANES) at the Si-K edge, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). For samples with chemical composition varying from SiO2 to Si3N4, the diffraction patterns obtained by TEM exhibited changes with the chemical composition, in agreement with the XANES results. For silicon-rich silicon oxynitride samples, the formation of a-Si clusters was observed and the possibility of obtaining Si nanocrystals after annealing depending on the composition and temperature was realized.