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Low pressure chemical vapor deposition of silicon nitride using the environmentally friendly tris(dimethylamino)silane precursor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

R. A. Levy
Affiliation:
New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, New Jersey 07102–1982
X. Lin
Affiliation:
New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, New Jersey 07102–1982
J. M. Grow
Affiliation:
New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, New Jersey 07102–1982
H. J. Boeglin
Affiliation:
Olin Chemicals Research, Cheshire, Connecticut 06410
R. Shalvoy
Affiliation:
Olin Chemicals Research, Cheshire, Connecticut 06410
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Abstract

This study investigates the use of the environmentally benign precursor tri(dimethylamino)silane (TDMAS) with NH3 to synthesize silicon nitride films by low pressure chemical vapor deposition. The growth kinetics are investigated as a function of deposition temperature, total pressure, and NH3/TDMAS flow ratios. The deposits are found to be essentially stoichiometric and to contain ∼5 at. % carbon when appropriate NH3 concentrations are present. The films are found in all cases to be amorphous and highly tensile. For optimized processing conditions, values of the refractive index are close to those reported for Si3N4. The film density is observed to increase with higher deposition temperatures up to 800 °C and then decrease due to the onset of gas phase nucleation effects. This behavior is readily reflected in the etch rate of those films. FTIR spectra reveal the presence of hydrogen even at high deposition temperatures (900 °C). Hardness and Young's modulus of the films are seen to increase with higher deposition temperatures, reaching saturation values near 20 and 185 GPa, respectively, above 800 °C.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996

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References

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