Deposition of silicon nitride thin films by hot-wire CVD at 100 °C and 250 °C

• Published in: Thin solid films 2009-04, Vol.517 (12), p.3503-3506
• Main Authors: Alpuim, P., Gonçalves, L.M., Marins, E.S., Viseu, T.M.R., Ferdov, S., Bourée, J.E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Dielectric; Dielectric thin films; Dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties; Electronic transport; Electronics; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Hot-wire CVD; Low-temperature deposition; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Natural energy; Photovoltaic conversion; Physics; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Silicon nitride; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Transistors
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2009.01.077

Silicon nitride thin films for use as passivation layers in solar cells and organic electronics or as gate dielectrics in thin-film transistors were deposited by the Hot-wire chemical vapor deposition technique at a high deposition rate (1–3 Ǻ/s) and at low substrate temperature. Films were deposited using NH 3/SiH 4 flow rate ratios between 1 and 70 and substrate temperatures of 100 °C and 250 °C. For NH 3/SiH 4 ratios between 40 and 70, highly transparent ( T ~ 90%), dense films (2.56–2.74 g/cm 3) with good dielectric properties and refractive index between 1.93 and 2.08 were deposited on glass substrates. Etch rates in BHF of 2.7 Ǻ/s and < 0.5 Ǻ/s were obtained for films deposited at 100 °C and 250 °C, respectively. Films deposited at both substrate temperatures showed electrical conductivity ~ 10 − 14  Ω − 1 cm − 1 and breakdown fields > 10 MV cm − 1 .