Conversion of a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon–carbon–nitride thin film at ultra-low temperature by oxygen plasma

Abstract In this work we present an ultra-low temperature method for the oxidation of an amorphous silicon–carbide–nitride (SiCN) material. The SiCN is deposited on silicon substrates by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition using CH 4 , SiH 4 , and N 2 chemistry. The physical and chemical properties are characterized for the as-deposited SiCN and post-oxidized films are discussed. The SiCN film is exposed to oxygen plasma, where it undergoes a chemical transformation into a binary SiO 2 material system. A 1.7 nm/min oxidation rate is typical for this process and compares favorably to oxidation methods utilizing much higher temperatures. The substrate temperature remains extremely low throughout the oxidation process, T s 2 . We discuss applications specifically targeted to the conversion of SiCN to SiO 2 .