Hydrogen release and Si-N bond-healing infrared study of rapid thermal annealed amorphous silicon nitride thin films
- North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)
The authors address aspects of hydrogen bonding and its thermal evolution in amorphous Silicon nitride films grown by Remote Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (RPECVD) from SiH{sub 4} and NH{sub 3} (or ND{sub 3}) source gases. Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) decreases the Si-H(D) and SiN-H(D) bond populations. The hydrogen bonds break, and H{sub 2} (HD, D{sub 2}) forms and evolves from the film with the heat treatment. This molecular hydrogen release is accompanied by Si- and N- bond healing as detected by a SiN infra red stretch mode signal gain. The ex-situ RTA experiment temperatures ranged from 400 to 1,200 C, in 100 C steps and the film structural changes were monitored by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) after each incremental anneal. Gas flow ratios R = NH{sub 3}/SiH{sub 4} > 2 produced films in which SiN-H(D) bonds dissociated, and a gas desorption rate equation estimated an activation energy barrier of Ea = 0.3 eV. The release of hydrogen from the films in the form of H{sub 2} (D{sub 2}) and ammonia radicals was detected by mass spectrometry and is shown here. The re-bonding of nitrogen to silicon upon thermal dissociation of hydrogen`s is consistent with the improvement of the electrical properties of a-SiN:H films following RTA treatment.
- OSTI ID:
- 479286
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-951155-; ISBN 1-55899-301-0; TRN: IM9725%%47
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Fall meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS), Boston, MA (United States), 27 Nov - 1 Dec 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transformations; Im, J.S. [ed.] [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)]; Park, B. [ed.] [Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta, GA (United States)]; Greer, A.L. [ed.] [Cambridge Univ. (United Kingdom)]; Stephenson, G.B. [ed.] [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)]; PB: 697 p.; Materials Research Society symposium proceedings, Volume 398
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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