Electron-paramagnetic-resonance study of the(100)Si/Si3N4interface

Abstract

The $\mathrm{}\left(100\right)\mathrm{}{\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}/\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}}_3{\mathrm{N}\mathrm{}}_4$ interface, formed by the deposition of ${\mathrm{Si}}_3{\mathrm{N}}_4$ layers on bulk (100) Si by distributed electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, has been studied by electron-paramagnetic-resonance spectroscopy. Only one interface defect, the $P_{b0\mathrm{}}$ center, characterized by trigonal point symmetry and principal values of the g tensor, $g_{\parallel }=2.0018\mathrm{}\pm 0.0002$ and $g_{\perp }=2.0089\mathrm{}\pm 0.0002$, has been detected. Its area concentration is of the order of $(2\mathrm{}–5)\times {10}^{11}\hspace{0.5em}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{-}2}.$ The characteristic defect of the $\mathrm{}\left(100\right)\mathrm{}{\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}/\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{O}}_2$ interface, the $P_{b1\mathrm{}}$ center, is not observed. The ${\mathrm{Si}}_3{\mathrm{N}}_4$ layers contain one main native bulk defect, the K center, at concentrations of $5\times {10}^{17}\hspace{0.5em}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{-}3}.$