Properties of Anodic Oxide Films Formed in the Anodization of Silicon Nitride

Abstract

The anodization of silicon nitride films on silicon has been characterized using ellipsometry. Calculations made indicate that the sensitivity of el]ipsometry to the anodization depends on the initial silicon nitride thickness. Ellipsometry data obtained during stepwise anodization are consistent with a model of two layers on silicon where the anodic oxide layer grows at the expense of the silicon nitride. The thickness ratio of oxide produced to silicon nitride used falls within ___0.25 of the theoretically expected value, 1.81, and depends to some extent on anodization conditions. The refractive index and growth (log10 J vs. E) properties of the oxide are similar to those of anodic oxides of silicon. Stepwise etchback studies on the oxide give results wh/ch are consistent with the anodization data and which indicate an abrupt silicon nitride-anodic oxide interface.

Thermal Oxidation in Wet Oxygen of Reactive Ion‐Beam Sputter‐Deposited Silicon Nitride Films

“…To measure the thickness of silicon dioxide grown by thermal oxidation on SigN4 layers, we have first considered we could apply C. J. Del]'Oca's method (21). This author characterized the oxide grown by anodization on silicon nitride films.…”

“…Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) (10)(11)(12), ionized cluster beam deposition (9,10,13), and partially ionized beam deposition (14,15) have been presented as new processes for metallization. Successful application of the low kinetic energy particle process to pure aluminum metallization has also been reported (19)(20)(21). In this process, the concurrent bombardment of a growing film surface by lowenergy argon ions is utilized to control the kinetics of thin film growth.…”

A Study of the Anodic Oxide of Vanadium under Anodic and Cathodic Conditions

“…water. Results are reported herein for a number of a-amino acids which occur in natural sea water at concentrations of the order of 10-TM (6) and which form stable complexes with Cu(II) ion (7).…”

An Ellipsometric Study of Electrochromism in Iridium Oxide

“…Ellipsometry has been used to study a number of systems in which an electrochemical process converts a surface film from one form to another of different refractive index (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). In all but the study of the anodic oxidation of silicon nitride (1), it was possible to reverse the process and cycle the film back to its initial state.…”

“…Ellipsometry has been used to study a number of systems in which an electrochemical process converts a surface film from one form to another of different refractive index (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6). In all but the study of the anodic oxidation of silicon nitride (1), it was possible to reverse the process and cycle the film back to its initial state. For nickel hydroxide films (2,3) the cycling exhibits the well-defined potential plateaus with little hysteresis characteristic of battery processes, whereas oxides of the valve metals vanadium (4), molybdenum (5), niobium and titanium (6) lose their ability to support high anodic fields after cathodic conversion, and exhibit marked hysteresis on cycling.…”