Creation and properties of nitrogen dangling bond defects in silicon nitride thin films
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom). Dept. of Engineering
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Center for Display Technology
- Army Research Lab., Fort Monmouth, NJ (United States)
The photocreation mechanisms and properties of nitrogen dangling bonds in amorphous hydrogenated silicon nitride (a-SiN{sub x}:H) thin films are investigated. The authors find that the photocreation is strongly dependent on film deposition conditions, illumination temperature, and postdeposition thermal treatment. Results suggest that H largely passivates N dangling bonds and/or precursor sites in the as-deposited films. The N-H bonds can then dissociate by a high-temperature deposition or postdeposition anneal (T > 500 C), leaving behind charged N sites which become paramagnetic after exposure to UV light. The N dangling bond is found to be an electrically active point defect. Its electrical and magnetic properties can be explained by assuming that the N defect centers can be cycled between its positive, negative, and neutral charge states.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 428173
- Journal Information:
- Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 143, Issue 11; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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