Stress evaluation of chemical vapor deposited silicon dioxide films

• Published in: Physica. B, Condensed matter Condensed matter, 2002-11, Vol.324 (1), p.167-172
• Main Authors: Maeda, Masahiko, Itsumi, Manabu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Defects; Defects and impurities in crystals; microstructure; Deformation and plasticity (including yield, ductility, and superplasticity); ESR; Exact sciences and technology; Intrinsic stress; Materials science; Mechanical and acoustical properties of condensed matter; Mechanical properties of solids; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Microscopic defects (voids, inclusions, etc.); Physics; Silicon dioxide; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography
• ISSN: 0921-4526; 1873-2135
• DOI: 10.1016/S0921-4526(02)01291-7

Film stress of chemical vapor deposited silicon dioxide films was evaluated. All of the deposited films show tensile intrinsic stresses. Oxygen partial pressure dependence of the intrinsic stress is very close to that of deposition rate. The intrinsic stress increases with increasing the deposition rate under the same deposition temperature, and decreases with increasing substrate temperature. Electron spin resonance (ESR) active defects in the films were observed when the films were deposited at 380°C and 450°C. The ESR signal intensity decreases drastically with increasing deposition temperature. The intrinsic stress correlates very closely to the intensity of the ESR-active defects, that is, the films with larger intrinsic stress have larger ESR-active defects. It is considered that the intrinsic stress was generated because the voids caused by local bond disorder were formed during random network formation among the SiO 4 tetrahedra. This local bond disorder also causes the ESR-active defects.