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Title: Low-temperature electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition silicon dioxide as gate insulator for polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors

Journal Article · · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.2167971· OSTI ID:20777044
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Instituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN), CNR, Via Cineto Romano 42, 00156 Rome (Italy)

Silicon dioxide films have been deposited at temperatures below 270 deg. C in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma reactor from O{sub 2}, SiH{sub 4}, and He gas mixture. Pinhole density analysis as a function of substrate temperature for different microwave powers was carried out. Films deposited at higher microwave power and at room temperature show defect densities (<7 pinhole/mm{sup 2}), ensuring low-temperature process integration on large area. From Fourier transform infrared analysis and thermal desorption spectrometry we also evaluated very low hydrogen content if compared to conventional rf-plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited (PECVD) SiO{sub 2} deposited at 350 deg. C. Electrical properties have been measured in metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors, depositing SiO{sub 2} at RT as gate dielectric; breakdown electric fields >10 MV/cm and charge trapping at fields >6 MV/cm have been evaluated. From the study of interface quality in MOS capacitors, we found that even for low annealing temperature (200 deg. C), it is possible to considerably reduce the interface state density down to 5x10{sup 11} cm{sup -2} eV{sup -1}. To fully validate the ECR-PECVD silicon dioxide we fabricated polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors using RT-deposited SiO{sub 2} as gate insulator. Different postdeposition thermal treatments have been studied and good device characteristics were obtained even for annealing temperature as low as 200 deg. C.

OSTI ID:
20777044
Journal Information:
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, International Journal Devoted to Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 24, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1116/1.2167971; (c) 2006 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1553-1813
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English