TEOS-based SiO{sub 2} chemical vapor deposition: Reaction kinetics and related surface chemistry
We have developed a comprehensive understanding of thermal TEOS (tetracthylorthosificate, Si(OCH{sub 2}CH{sub 3}){sub 4}) surface chemistry at CVD (chemical vapor deposition) temperatures and pressures. This was accomplished by examining how TEOS reaction rate are influenced by factors critical to the heterogeneous reaction. This includes determining the TEOS pressure dependence, testing if reaction by-products inhibit TEOS decomposition, identifying reaction sites on the surface, and establishing the reaction sites coverage dependencies. We evaluated the pressure dependencies and by-product inhibition with GCMS. The experiments in a cold-wall research reactor revealed that the TEOS surface reaction at 1000K (1) was first-order with respect to TEOS pressure (0.10 to 1.50Torr) and (2) was not inhibited by surface reaction by-products (ethylene, ethanol, and water). Reactivities of surface sites and their coverage dependencies were compared with FTIR. Our experiments demonstrated that two-membered siloxane ((Si-O){sub 2}) rings on the SiO{sub 2} surface were consumed almost instantaneously when exposed to TEOS. Our FTIR experiments also revealed that TEOS decomposition was zero-order with respect to coverages of hydroxyl groups and (by indirect evidence) three-membered siloxane ((Si-O){sub 3}) rings. This type of site-independent reactivity is consistent with TEOS reacting with hydroxyl groups and (Si-O){sub 3} rings via a common rate-determining step at 1000K. With respect to deposition uniformity, our results predict that deposition rates will be insensitive to the relative coverages of (Si-O){sub 3} rings and hydroxyls on SiO{sub 2} as well as the re-adsorbed by-products of the surface reaction. Therefore, it is likely that nonuniform SiO{sub 2} depositions from TEOS reactions are due to depletion of TEOS in the gas-phase and/or thermal gradients.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 125383
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-95-2031C; CONF-9511138-1; ON: DE96002121; TRN: 95:008108
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Dry processing symposium, Tokyo (Japan), 1-3 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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