ECR plasma synthesis of silicon nitride films on GaAs and InSb
Growth of high-quality dielectric films from Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) plasmas provides for low-temperature surface passivation of compound semiconductors. Silicon nitride (SiN{sub x}) films were grown at temperatures from 30 to 250 C on GaAs substrates. Stress in films was measured as a function of bias applied during growth (varied from 0 to 200 V), and of sample annealing treatments. Composition profiles of the samples were measured using ion beam analysis. The GaAs photoluminescence (PL) signal after SiN{sub x} growth without an applied bias (ion energy {congruent}30 eV) was twice as large as the PL signal from the cleaned GaAs substrate. The PL signal from samples biased at -50 and -100 V indicated that damage degraded the passivation quality, while atomic force microscopy of these samples showed a three fold increase in rms surface roughness relative to unbiased samples. The sample grown with a bias of -200 V showed the largest reduction in film stress but also the smallest PL signal.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 10116449
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-93-1662C; CONF-931108-47; ON: DE94005575; BR: GB0103012
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Fall meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS),Boston, MA (United States),29 Nov - 3 Dec 1993; Other Information: PBD: [1993]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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