The influence of temperature and pressure on the structure of remote plasma enhanced chemically vapor deposited SiO 2 investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 233; no. 1; pp. 240 - 243
• Main Authors: Gruska, B., Wandel, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 1993
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/0040-6090(93)90099-B

Spectroscopic ellipsometry in the range 1.5–4.45 eV was used to study the composition and structure of SiO x layers on silicon produced by remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. For deposition temperatures less than 200 °C the spectra can be fitted by a structure of three layers involving different amounts of SiO 2 and water. Above 200 °C the spectra can be fitted by a homogeneous layer with a smaller dispersion in comparison with that of SiO 2, which is caused by the content of OH groups. Above 250 °C the dielectric response was found to be nearly equal to that of SiO 2. At low (0.17 mbar) and at high (1.5 mbar) pressures the ellipsometric data can be approximated by a homogeneous SiO 2 layer, taking into account a fraction of a-Si. In the region between 0.7 and 1.2 mbar, deposition of a layer with a high water content is suggested on the basis of the ellipsometric data.