A Comparison Between Silicon Nitride Films Made by PCVD of N 2 ‐ SiH4 / Ar and N 2 ‐ SiH4 / He

Abstract

This paper reports on the passivating properties of PCVD silicon nitride obtained from the gas mixtures diluted in Ar and diluted in He . Ellipsometric data, Auger data, IR data, mechanical stress, pinholes, and electrical data are presented. The stability of the hydrogen bonds in the silicon nitride is evaluated by low temperature annealing. By comparison of the properties of nitrides made from and , it is concluded that the former one yields more uniform films, less critical to deposition temperature, while the latter process behaves better for passivating purposes. On the other hand, it is shown that the carrier gas (He or Ar) has a marked influence on the properties of the films, especially on the hydrogen content. It is found that both PCVD nitrides are best described as .