Characterization of Plasma‐Deposited Silicon Dioxide

Abstract

Silicon dioxide films have been deposited by reacting silane and nitrous oxide in a parallel‐plate, radial flow, plasma reactor. Deposition parameters (temperature, power, and gas composition) have been systematically varied, and the films characterized by measuring the infrared spectra, deposition rate, density, etch rate, stress, refractive index, step coverage, breakdown voltage, and annealing behavior. The films, deposited at 100°–340°C and at rates of 200–360 Å/min, contain 2–9 a/o H bonded as H2O , normalSiOH , and normalSiH . The films have densities of about 2.3 g/cm3, refractive indexes of about 1.47, a compressive stress usually less than 1×109 normaldynes/cm2 , and etch rates about twelve times faster than thermally grown silicon dioxide. Films deposited below 200°C or at high power etch nonuniformly with part of the film etching very fast, possibly indicating a two‐phase mixture. The step coverage is not conformal and the films are thin along vertical step walls. The films breakdown at fields of 4–10 MV/cm. During annealing in air at temperatures up to 400°C, the films lose hydrogen and become less dense, but do not crack. The properties of the plasma‐deposited silicon dioxide are strongly dependent on the specific deposition conditions. In addition, simple correlations between the properties do not exist. Thus in characterizing plasma deposited silicon dioxide, the exact deposition conditions must be specified and all the film properties of interest must be measured.

Opportunities for mesoscopics in thermometry and refrigeration: Physics and applications

“…In particular, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is considered an effective technique ͑Hess, 1984; Kaganowicz et al, 1984;Adams, 1986͒ because of the low deposition temperature ͑SiO 2 is generally deposited in the temperature range 200-500°C͒. Silicon oxide can be deposited from silane ͑SiH 4 ͒ with O 2 , CO 2 , N 2 O, or CO ͑Hollahan, 1974;Adams et al, 1981͒. In addition, plasma oxide film properties are dependent on growth conditions such as reactor configuration, rf power, frequency, substrate temperature, pressure, and gas fluxes.…”

Plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition oxide prepared at low-flow conditions for course wavelength-division multiplexing optical-waveguide devices

“…However, for integrated optics application, large flow ratio should be used to reduce the impurity content in the deposited films. 8 As illustrated in Fig. 3, the refractive indices of the films at both the flow conditions are about 1.46 except for films deposited at a flow ratio of less than 40.…”

Effect of surface irradiation, substrate temperature, and annealing on laser deposited silicon dioxide

“…4 Values of K have been determined 5 for the 3620-cm -I peak as 1.4 X 10 16 em -.. the 3380-cm -I peak as 0.4 X 10 16 cm -I and the 2270-cm-1 peak as 7.1 X 10 16 cm-I • Values of K for the 880-cm -I peak are dependent on CVD depositon conditions. 5 A shift of less than 20 cm -I of the 1070 Si-O IR absorption peak toward the 850-cm -I Si-N peak in LCVD Si0 2 films was observed. The 850-cm -I Si-N peak was not resolvable (a J1 H < 10 3 cm -2) and Auger analysis of LCVD Si0 2 films showed -2%-4% nitrogen suggesting that nitrogen bonding in these films is not significant.…”