Preparation of composition-controlled silicon oxynitride films by sputtering; deposition mechanism,and optical and surface properties

Silicon oxynitride films have been grown on silicon by current-controlled reactive sputtering. The content of oxygen in the films could be well controlled by regulating the sputtering current under the reactive gas of Ar+ N₂ with an oxygen content of around 3%. The atomic ratio of oxygen to nitrogen in the silicon oxynitride film became larger with increasing sputtering current. It has been found that electron irradiation of the silicon substrate induces adsorption of oxygen and nitrogen. The degree of oxygen adsorption was about ten times larger than that of nitrogen. This phenomenon is a key mechanism in controlling the film composition. The adsorptive mechanism might be explained by the phenomenon of surface activation by the electron bombardment. Utilizing this technique, wettability by germanium of silicon oxynitride films could be controlled by varying their oxygen and nitrogen contents. A better wetting condition was obtained from films with large atomic ratio of nitrogen to oxygen in the silicon oxynitride film.     

The effect of nitrogen incorporation on surface properties of silicon oxynitride films

In order to investigate the surface heterogeneity of silicon oxynitride films, we observed the nanoscale variation of the surface potential by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM), the molecular bonding characteristics by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), and the wetting behavior by contact angle measurement. Nitrogen incorporation into silicon oxynitride films influenced the decrease in the surface potential and the polar component of the surface free energy. We present the first correlation between the nanoscale measurement of the surface potential and the macroscopic measurement of the surface free energy in silicon oxynitride films grown by a standard plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Waveguide spectroscopy of bilayer structures

A least-squares procedure is proposed for the reconstruction of optical parameters of bilayer structures. The objective function is constructed using experimental and calculated data on the reflectance of a coupling prism. A structure consisting of two different silicon oxynitride films on a silicon substrate is studied. The effect of scattering on the solution of the inverse problem is analyzed.     

Electrical properties of thin PECVD silicon oxynitride films

Thin silicon oxynitride films with excellent uniformity were prepared by plasma enhanced CVD. Oxygen incorporation leads to improved breakdown behavior and to reduction of the film conductivity compared to PECVD silicon nitride layers. Thin PECVD silicon oxynitride films deposited on single crystal and poly-Si exhibit good insulation properties in both cases.     

Atomic and Electronic Structures of Traps in Silicon Oxide and Silicon Oxynitride

Silicon oxide (SiO₂) and silicon oxynitride (SiO_xN_y) are two key dielectrics used in silicon devices. The excellent interface properties of these dielectrics with silicon have enabled the tremendous advancement of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) technology. However, these dielectrics are still found to have pronounced amount of localized states which act as electron or hole traps and lead to the performance and reliability degradations of the MOS integrated circuits. A better understanding of the nature of these states will help to understand the constraints and lifetime performance of the MOS devices. Recently, due to the available of ab initio quantum-mechanical calculations and some synchrotron radiation experiments, substantial progress has been achieved in understanding the atomic and electronic nature of the defects in these dielectrics. In this review, the properties, formation and removal mechanisms of various defects in silicon oxide and silicon oxynitride films will be critically discussed. Some remarks on the thermal ionization energies in connection with the optical ionization energies of electron and hole traps, as well as some of the unsolved issues in these materials will be highlighted.     

氮氧化硅与氧化硅玻璃结构,性能与量子化学计算研究

用自洽场离散变分X_α(SCF-X_α-DV)量子化学计算方法研究了氮氧化硅及氧化硅玻璃,讨论了氮原子取代氧原子之后在结构、性能与化学键等方面的变化规律。计算表明氮氧化硅与氧化硅玻璃之间在性能上的差异,主要不是由Si-N和Si-O键的伸缩力常数之间的差异所引起的,也不是由Si-N和Si-O键的离子键强度之间的差异所引起的。Si-N共价键比Si-O共价键强,是N-Si-N键弯曲力常数比O-Si-O键大的主要原因,也与氮氧化硅玻璃比氧化硅玻璃具有更好的化学稳定性和更高的扬氏模量的实验结果一致。     

Evanescent-field excitation and collection approach for waveguide based photonic luminescent biosensors

A silicon oxynitride channel waveguide based evanescent-field optical transducer is presented for lab-on-chip application. The optical biosensor detects luminescent bioanalytes infiltrated within a reactor well realized across the waveguide. As a main novelty, the sensing mechanism proposed makes use of the evanescent-field propagating in the waveguide to both excite and to collect the fluorescent signal. To understand the chip behavior, its design and collection efficiency were analyzed by finite-difference time-domain simulations in comparison with similar structures differing in the bioreactor thickness and therefore in the excitation and collection mechanisms. It is demonstrated that the best efficiency and performance are reached for the proposed dual evanescent field approach. Characterization of the optical losses and fluorescence measurements from a dye solution infiltrated in the bioreactor well validate the proposed working concept.     

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography imaging with an integrated optics spectrometer

We designed and fabricated an arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) in silicon oxynitride as a spectrometer for spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The AWG has a footprint of only 3.0 cm × 2.5 cm, operates at a center wavelength of 1300 nm, and has 78 nm free spectral range. OCT measurements are performed that demonstrate imaging up to a maximum depth of 1 mm with an axial resolution of 19 μm, both in agreement with the AWG design parameters. Using the AWG spectrometer combined with a fiber-based SD-OCT system, we demonstrate cross-sectional OCT imaging of a multilayered scattering phantom.     

Optical and hydrophobic properties of co-sputtered chromium and titanium oxynitride films

The chromium and titanium oxynitride films on glass substrate were deposited by using reactive RF magnetron sputtering in the present work. The structural and optical properties of the chromium and titanium oxynitride films as a function of power variations are investigated. The chromium oxynitride films are crystalline even at low power of Cr target (≥60 W) but the titanium oxynitride films are amorphous at low target power of Ti target (≤90 W) as observed from glancing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) patterns. The residual stress and strain of the chromium oxynitride films are calculated by sin² ψ method, as the average crystallite size decreases with the increase in sputtering power of the Cr target, higher stress and strain values are observed. The chromium oxynitride films changes from hydrophilic to hydrophobic with the increase of contact angle value from 86.4° to 94.1°, but the deposited titanium oxynitride films are hydrophilic as observed from contact angle measurements. The changes in surface energy were calculated using contact angle measurements to substantiate the hydrophobic properties of the films. UV-vis and NIR spectrophotometer were used to obtain the transmission and absorption spectra, and the later was used for determining band gap values of the films, respectively. The refractive index of chromium and titanium oxynitride films increases with film packing density due to formation of crystalline chromium and titanium oxynitride films with the gradual rise in deposition rate as a result of increase in target powers.     

Ground state magnetic properties of ultrathin fcc Fe and Co films on Cu(001) surfaces

The oxidation characteristics of silicon implanted with a low dose of nitrogen (1–3×10¹⁵cm^–2) have been studied for dry oxidation conditions at 1020°C. The wafers were subjected to a pre-oxidation annealing. Complete inhibition of the oxide growth occurs in the initial stage of oxidation, while the oxidation rate for prolonged oxidation is identical to that for pure silicon. The oxidation resistance increases with the implantation dose. The resistance is attributed to the formation of a nitrogen-rich surface film during annealing. This layer, which consists of only a few monolayers, is presumably composed of oxynitride. The electrical characteristics of MOS capacitors formed on implanted wafers show that the interface state density is not significantly increased by the low-dose N implantation.     

Deposition of silicon oxynitride films by ion beam sputtering at room temperature

Silicon oxynitride films, possessing various compounds of SiO₂ and Si₃N₄, were deposited by ion beam sputtering at room temperature. This technique can easily and precisely control the refractive index and composition of the silicon oxynitride film. Properties of these films, such as the refractive index, the extinction coefficient, the surface roughness, and so on were measured in this study.     

Microfabrication of freestanding porous silicon particles containing spectral barcodes

A method to microfabricate micron‐scale freestanding porous silicon photonic crystal particles is described. An electrochemically prepared film of porous silicon on a crystalline silicon substrate is patterned with an SU8‐25 photoresist, and the unmasked porous silicon is removed with a chlorine plasma reactive ion etch. Porous microparticles are then removed from the substrate by electropolishing. Scanning electron microscopy and microscopic reflection spectroscopy are used to characterize the geometry and optical properties of the freestanding particles. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Pulsed CO2 laser-driven production of ultrafine silicon,silicon carbide,silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride powders

Summary Ultrafine Si, Si₃N₄, SiC and silicon oxynitride powders have been produced by irradiating gas-phase reactants by means of a CO₂ laser. The mechanism of SiH₄ CO₂ laser-induced absorption and dissociation is discussed on the basis of the results of the spectral and time-resolved measurement of fragment chemiluminescence. The role played by the SiH₂ radical in the powder formation is investigated. The quality of Si, Si₃N₄, SiC and silicon oxynitride powders is checked by means of several off-line diagnostics (IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction at wide and small angle, BET analysis). The possibility of controlling powder stoichiometry and doping from the gas-phase reactant concentration is discussed.     

Heterogeneous integration of InGaAsP microdisk laser on a silicon platform using optofluidic assembly

Heterogeneous integration of InGaAsP microdisk lasers on a silicon platform is demonstrated experimentally using an optofluidic assembly technique. The 200-nm-thick, 5- and 10-μm-diameter microdisk lasers are fabricated on InP and then released from the substrates. They are reassembled on a silicon platform using lateral-field optoelectronic tweezers (LOET). The assembled laser with 5-μm diameter exhibits a threshold pump power of 340 μW at room temperature under pulse condition. The heterogeneously-integrated InGaAsP-on-Si microdisk laser could provide the much needed optical source for CMOS-based silicon photonics. The small footprint and low power consumption make them attractive for optical interconnect applications. The optofluidic assembly technique enables efficient use of the III–V epitaxial materials in silicon photonic integrated circuits.     

X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy of silicon oxynitride layers obtained by low-energy ion implantation

Simultaneous oxygen and nitrogen low-energy ion implantation in silicon single crystals have been used to obtain surface layers of silicon oxynitride. In-depth concentration profiles, measured by XPS, showed all the possible tetrahedral configurations of silicon with the neighboring atoms. The most important feature of these profiles has been found to be the accumulation of a so-called Si³⁺ state just below the surface and about 20 nm deep. This amphoteric state has interesting properties for impurity passivation or electron trapping.     

Effects of the passivation layer deposition temperature on the electrical and optical properties of GaN-based light-emitting diodes

In this paper, silicon oxynitride is deposited through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to serve as an antireflection passivation layer. We have studied the effects of the deposition temperature (from 100 to 300 °C) on the electrical and optical performances of GaN-LEDs. It is found that the light output of GaN-LEDs improves greatly after the deposition of SiON antireflection passivation layer at 200 °C and is better than that of GaN-LEDs whose layers are deposited at 100 and 300 °C. The electrical properties of GaN-LED do not degrade at 100 and 200 °C, but degrade significantly at 300 °C.     

Structural analysis of silicon dioxide and silicon oxynitride filmsproduced using an oxygen plasma

Plasma grown silicon dioxide and oxynitride layers are shown to represent, for microelectronic applications, a good alternative method to conventional thermally grown layers. Fast growth rates, together with good electrical properties are demonstrated, at low process temperatures. Growth kinetics of SiO₂ layers synthesized both in RF and microwave plasma anodization systems are presented for a wide range of substrate temperatures in the range (90-560°C). Structural properties of the films can be affected during preparation, due to radiation from the plasma and particle bombardment. For the SiO₂ layers obtained by RF anodization at 300°C, these surface structural features were investigated by scanning electron microscopy; bulk and interface dielectric properties of the layers were analyzed by spectroellipsometry. The results were correlated with electrical properties and data coming from the growth kinetics. It was found that the properties of the layers, both structural and electrical, are strongly dependent on the growth regime (linear or parabolic). Silicon oxynitride films produced by plasma anodization of silicon nitride layers are investigated by spectroellipsometry and Auger electron spectroscopy. These results are correlated with electrical measurements and used to explain the changes in film properties     

Interface states and impurities in MOS structures with very thin tunneling barriers

Electron tunneling spectroscopy was used to investigate MOS junctions with very thin silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride layers (2–5 nm) as tunneling barriers. For the tunneling measurements at 4.2 K highly degenerate P-doped (3×10²⁰ cm^-3) Si substrates, oxidized in dry oxygen at 600°C were used. Silicon oxynitride layers were prepared by plasma nitridation in an NH₃ discharge. As gate electrodes evaporated films of Al, Au or Pb were utilized. Changes in the tunneling conductivity were attributed to changes in the density of interface states, caused by hydrogen annealing or by high field stress. The results indicate a correlation between the generation of interface states and the removal of Si-H configurations. Vibrational modes of phonons, dopants and impurities were detected by inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy.     

Measurement of the elastic properties of evaporated C60 films by surface acoustic waves

Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) pulses were excited in C₆₀ films deposited on quartz and silicon substrates using pulses from excimer lasers with wavelengths of 248 nm and 308 nm for excitation. An optical beam-deflection technique and polymer electret transducers were utilized to detect the propagation of the SAW pulse with high spatial and temporal resolution, allowing an accuracy of better than 0.1% for SAW velocity measurements. With this technique the frequency dependence of the SAW velocity was determined for a number of fullerite films and density, as well as elastic bulk properties of the films were derived by a theoretical analysis of the dispersion effect.     

The silicon vacancy in SiC

The isolated silicon vacancy is one of the basic intrinsic defects in SiC. We present new experimental data as well as new calculations on the silicon vacancy defect levels and a new model that explains the optical transitions and the magnetic resonance signals observed as occurring in the singly negative charge state of the silicon vacancy in 4H and 6H SiC.