Rapid thermal N{sub 2}O oxynitride on Si(100)
- Institute for Microstructural Sciences, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada)
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Center, Stanford, California 94309-0210 (United States)
- Telecom Microelectronics Centre, Northern Telecom Limited, Nepean, Ontario K2H 8V4 (Canada)
High-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in conjunction with secondary-ion-mass spectrometry was used to study the chemical nature and distribution of N in oxynitride films formed by rapid thermal N{sub 2}O processes (RTPs) or conventional furnace methods. The kinetics of furnace oxide growth in N{sub 2}O are slower than that in O{sub 2}. During reoxidation the oxidation rate increased to that in pure O{sub 2} and the N in the SiO{sub 2}{endash}Si interface region is displaced into the bulk of the oxide. High-resolution synchrotron Si2{ital p} core-level photoemission spectroscopy (PES) was used to study the oxide{endash}Si(100) interface suboxide structures produced by RTP with and without the presence of N. XPS N1{ital s} studies indicated that there are two types of N in the RTP oxynitride films. The chemical bond configuration of the first type of N is similar to that of N in Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and is mainly distributed within the first 1 nm from the interface. The second type of N is distributed mainly outside of the first 1 nm region, and the N is likely bonded to two Si and one oxygen atom. PES studies showed that Si formed suboxides with oxygen at the interface for all oxynitride films. It is found that there is no change in the Si{sup +1} structure while there is a dramatic decrease in the Si{sup +2} and Si{sup +3} states with the inclusion of N in the oxide. Both the XPS and PES results are explained in terms of a strain reduction as N is incorporated in the film near the interface region, where Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} functions as a buffer layer which reduces the stress caused by the large Si lattice mismatch between the bulk Si and the oxide overlayer. About 1/5 of the Si{sup +2} and 1/3 of Si{sup +3} atoms at the SiO{sub 2}{endash}Si interface have been replaced by the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} buffer layer at the oxynitride{endash}Si interface. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Vacuum Society}
- OSTI ID:
- 286579
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960117-; ISSN 0734-211X; TRN: 9615M0258
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena, Vol. 14, Issue 4; Conference: 23. conference on the physics and chemistry semiconductor interfaces, La Jolla, CA (United States), 21-25 Jan 1996; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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