Characterization of low-temperature silicon nitride films produced by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition

Silicon nitride films were synthesized at 170°C by using inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition under three microwave power conditions of 500, 800, and 1000W. The chemical, physical and electrical properties of the deposited silicon nitride films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, wet etching, atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, J-V, and C-V measurements of metal-insulator-semiconductor. The microwave power for film deposition is found to play an important role at the films’ properties. A high microwave power reduces the retention of hydrogen in a form of Si–H and N–H atomic bonds. The microwave power significantly affects the density of pin holes; the 800W film has the lowest density of pin holes. In general, the low-temperature silicon nitride films possess better surface roughness than the conventional silicon nitride films produced at higher temperatures. The low-temperature silicon nitride films exhibit an abrupt breakdown, a characteristic of avalanche breakdown. The ...