Characterization of silicon nitride thin films deposited by reactive sputtering and plasma-enhanced CVD at low temperatures

Low-temperature deposition has been required for preparing SiNx films of high density, high refractive index, and low hydrogen content for various applications. We examine the characteristics of SiNx films deposited at low temperature by reactive sputtering and plasma-enhanced CVD under different conditions. The results reveal that we can give an outline of the preparation conditions that provide the properties of SiNx films required for various applications. The pretreatment of the Si target improves the properties of the sputter-deposited SiNx films by reducing the amount of oxygen incorporation.