Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-s9k8s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-24T03:30:57.632Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Residual Stress in Silicon Nitride Thin Films Deposited by ECR-PECVD

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

E. Cianci
Affiliation:
Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN), CNR, Via Cineto Romano 42, 00156 Roma, Italy
V. Foglietti
Affiliation:
Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN), CNR, Via Cineto Romano 42, 00156 Roma, Italy
Get access

Abstract

We have investigated the influence of process parameters in electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (ECR-PECVD) of silicon nitride, on the intrinsic stress of thin SiN films and on their composition, in order to obtain SiNx films suitable to micromechanical applications. The silane to nitrogen gas flow ratio, along with addition of helium to gas mixture, was found to be a critical parameter for the tuning of the intrinsic stress in ECR-PECVD SiNx films, from compressive to tensile stress, with a maximum related to the largest Si-N bond density in the film.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Burns, D. W. and Guckel, H., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 8, 3606 (1990)Google Scholar
2. Flewitt, A.J., Dydon, A.P., Robertson, J., Milne, W.I., Thin Solid Films 383, 172177 (2001)Google Scholar
3. Popov, O. A., Physics of thin films: Plasma Sources for thin film deposition and etching, Francombe, M. H. and Vossen editors, J. L., Academic Press, San Diego (1994) p. 122 Google Scholar
4. Cianci, E., Foglietti, V., Memmi, D., Caliano, G., Caronti, A., Pappalardo, M., Precision Engineering 26, 347354 (2002)Google Scholar
5. Lanford, W. A. and Rand, M. J., J. Appl. Phys. 49, 2473 (1978)Google Scholar
6. Gianchandani, Y., Najafi, K., J. Microelectromech. Syst. 5, 52 (1996)Google Scholar
7. Tabata, O., Kawahata, K., Sugiyama, S., Igarashi, I., Sensors and Actuators A 20, 135 (1989)Google Scholar
8. Tsu, D.V., Lucovsky, G., Mantini, M.J., Phys. Rev. B 33, 7069 (1986)Google Scholar
9. Parsons, G. N., Souk, J. H., and Batey, J., J. Appl. Phys. 70, 1553 (1991)Google Scholar
10. Smith, D. L., Alimonda, A. S., Von Pressig, F. J., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 8, 551557 (1990)Google Scholar