Correlation of charge transport to intrinsic strain in silicon oxynitride and Si-rich silicon nitride thin films

2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Habermehl ◽  
R. T. Apodaca
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Charge Transport ◽  
Silicon Oxynitride ◽  
Intrinsic Strain

scholarly journals Material Structure and Mechanical Properties of Silicon Nitride and Silicon Oxynitride Thin Films Deposited by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Surfaces ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenghao Gan ◽  
Changzheng Wang ◽  
Zhong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fracture Toughness ◽  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Vapor Deposition ◽  
Chemical Vapor ◽  
Silicon Oxynitride ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Silicon Nitride Films

Silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride thin films are widely used in microelectronic fabrication and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Their mechanical properties are important for MEMS structures; however, these properties are rarely reported, particularly the fracture toughness of these films. In this study, silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride thin films were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) under different silane flow rates. The silicon nitride films consisted of mixed amorphous and crystalline Si3N4 phases under the range of silane flow rates investigated in the current study, while the crystallinity increased with silane flow rate in the silicon oxynitride films. The Young’s modulus and hardness of silicon nitride films decreased with increasing silane flow rate. However, for silicon oxynitride films, Young’s modulus decreased slightly with increasing silane flow rate, and the hardness increased considerably due to the formation of a crystalline silicon nitride phase at the high flow rate. Overall, the hardness, Young modulus, and fracture toughness of the silicon nitride films were greater than the ones of silicon oxynitride films, and the main reason lies with the phase composition: the SiNx films were composed of a crystalline Si3N4 phase, while the SiOxNy films were dominated by amorphous Si–O phases. Based on the overall mechanical properties, PECVD silicon nitride films are preferred for structural applications in MEMS devices.

Charge Transport in Low Stress Si-rich Silicon Nitride Thin Films

2001 ◽  
Vol 687 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Habermehl ◽  
C. Carmignani
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Charge Transport ◽  
Barrier Height ◽  
Composition Range ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Leakage Currents ◽  
Bond Strain ◽  
Frenkel Emission ◽  
Bulk Charge

AbstractField dependent bulk charge transport in Si-rich, low stress silicon nitride thin films is studied in correlation to the local atomic Si-N bond strain. Across a range of film compositions varying from fully stoichiometric Si3N4 to Si-rich SiN0.54, Poole-Frenkel emission is determined to be the dominant charge transport mechanism with the Poole- Frenkel barrier height found to decrease concomitantly from 1.10 to 0.52 eV. Across the same composition range the local residual Si-N bond strain, as measured by FTIR spectroscopy, is observed to vary from 0.006 to –0.0026. Comparison of the barrier height to the residual strain reveals a direct correlation between the two quantities. It is concluded that reductions in the Poole-Frenkel barrier height are a manifestation of compositionally induced strain relief at the molecular level. Reductions in the barrier height result in increased Poole-Frenkel emission detrapping rates and consequently higher leakage currents in Si-rich films.

Compositional Determination of Silicon Oxynitride Films

1986 ◽  
Vol 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth S. Hatton ◽  
John B. Wachtman ◽  
Richard A. Haber ◽  
Barry Wilkens
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Simple Model ◽  
Silicon Dioxide ◽  
Silicon Oxynitride ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Film Composition ◽  
Reactive Gases ◽  
Tie Line

ABSTRACTSilicon oxynitride thin films made by RF reactive sputtering can be made with varying composition along the silicon dioxide - silicon nitride tie line by control of the sputtering gases. Compositional determination was made by the Rutherford backscattering technique. A simple model relating film composition to the composition of the reactive gases is proposed which fits the experimental results.

Temperature Dependence of the Intrinsic Stress and Biaxial Modulus of Plasma Deposited Silicon Nitride and Silicon Oxynitride Films

1994 ◽  
Vol 356 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Harding ◽  
Linus T. Ogbuji
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
Deposition Temperature ◽  
Silicon Oxynitride ◽  
Intrinsic Stress ◽  
Amorphous Silicon Nitride ◽  
Silicon Nitride Films ◽  
Annealing Cycle

AbstractThe intrinsic stress and biaxial modulus of thin films of amorphous silicon nitride (0.5μm) and silicon oxynitride (1.5 to 2.5 μm) were measured following deposition (Ts=260 to 610°C), and then at discrete intervals throughout an annealing cycle. The biaxial modulus and intrinsic stress of the silicon nitride films increased from 110 GPa and 130 MPa, respectively, to 180 GPa and 680 MPa as the deposition temperature increased from Ts=340°C to Ts=610°C. The elemental composition was unaffected by the deposition temperature. Annealing at 1100°C increased the intrinsic stress to ≃ 1.8 GPa, as nitrogen and hydrogen were lost. Films with “near-stoichiometric” compositions (SiN1.1; H = 12 at.%) did not crack.Adding oxygen to form silicon oxynitride lowered both the biaxial modulus (20–30 GPa) and the intrinsic stress (−50 to 100 MPa). All the silicon oxynitride compositions (SiO0.3N1.0 to SiO1.7N0.5) were unstable when annealed above the deposition temperature (260°C). Films grown using mostly nitrous oxide (R = N2O/(N20+NH3) < 0.5) oxidized at 350°C to form silica. Simultaneously, the biaxial modulus and intrinsic stress increased to 100 GPa and 170 MPa, respectively. Films grown from mostly ammonia (R <0.5) lost nitrogen and hydrogen and cracked when the temperature exceeded the deposition temperature by 40 to 90°C. The stress induced by the elemental loss was ≃ 600 MPa.

Extraction of the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Thin Films from Buckled Membranes

1998 ◽  
Vol 546 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Ziebartl ◽  
O. Paul ◽  
H. Baltes
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Thermal Expansion ◽  
Silicon Nitride ◽  
Excellent Agreement ◽  
Energy Minimization ◽  
Coefficient Of Thermal Expansion ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Minimization Method ◽  
Energy Minimization Method

AbstractWe report a new method to measure the temperature-dependent coefficient of thermal expansion α(T) of thin films. The method exploits the temperature dependent buckling of clamped square plates. This buckling was investigated numerically using an energy minimization method and finite element simulations. Both approaches show excellent agreement even far away from simple critical buckling. The numerical results were used to extract Cα(T) = α0+α1(T−T0 ) of PECVD silicon nitride between 20° and 140°C with α0 = (1.803±0.006)×10−6°C−1, α1 = (7.5±0.5)×10−9 °C−2, and T0 = 25°C.

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