Angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy intensity modeling of SiNx ultrathin layer grown on Si (100) and Si (111) substrates by N2 plasma treatment

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the silicon nitridation process using a N2 plasma Glow Discharge Source (GDS) in an ultra-high vacuum chamber. In situ Angle Resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ARXPS) measurements were performed to determine various chemical environments of the surface species. The main goals of this study are determination of the film chemical composition, to estimate its thickness and identify various phenomena taking place during the nitridation process under different experimental conditions. To achieve these objectives, we developed an ARXPS intensity model for an ultrathin SiNx overlayer. Based on the ARXPS results, which indicate that the silicon nitride film is not homogenous, we adopted a bi-layer model composed of two SixNyOz layers with varying thickness and chemical composition. The model is built from analysis of photoelectron intensities, considering a comparison between experimental and theoretical data. This bi-layer model revealed that the silicon nitride layer consists of a surface layer composed of approximately equal amounts of silicon and nitrogen (50% each), and an interfacial layer containing varying amounts of oxygen depending on experimental parameters. The presence of oxygen is due to residual air contamination in the vacuum chamber and/or to Si native oxide. The estimated thickness of silicon nitride film is less than 9 nm, depending on the nitridation time and temperature.The model developed in this work enabled us to study the effects of initial surface state (as received or chemically cleaned), Si substrate crystallographic orientation (such as (100) and (111)), and the nitridation temperature (room temperature and 500°C). The diffusing species (N+, N2+, O+), which play a crucial role during nitridation, were found to be influenced by temperature, treatment time, and substrate orientation. The diffusion phenomenon competed with other processes such as NO desorption, leading to a significant impact on formation of the SiNx film. Furthermore, we compared the thickness obtained from the ARXPS model using cross-sectional High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM) images. Additional Low-Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) measurements indicated that the SiNx film was amorphous.