Silicon and Nitrogen Dangling Bonds Point Defects in PECVD Silicon Oxynitrides Thin Layers

New defects were revealed in PECVD SiOXNYHZ thin layers upon VUV-illuminations with a deuterium (De) lamp. The ESR signal measured after a 8-hour illumination reached a saturated amplitude one or two decades higher than the dark ESR signal. The dark ESR signal level was recovered after a 3-hour anneal at 380°C. In addition to the silicon dangling bonds already identified in the dark ESR, the bridging nitrogen dangling bonds and over-coordinated nitrogen were identified after VUV-radiations. The relative densities of the various kinds of defect are given as a function of the O/O+N oxynitride composition.