Growth and characterization of silicon nitride films on various underlying materials

Abstract

Characteristics of silicon nitride (SiNx:H) films, grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on various metals such as Ta, IrMn, NiFe, Cu, and CoFe at various temperatures down to 100 °C, were studied using measurements of BHF etch rate, surface roughness and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The results were compared with those obtained for SiNx:H films on Si. The deposition rate of SiNx:H films increased slightly as deposition temperature decreased, and showed a weak dependence on the underlying materials. The surface of the nitride films deposited on all underlying materials at lower temperatures (below 150 °C) became rougher. In particular, a bubble-like surface was observed on the nitride film deposited on NiFe at 100 °C. At higher deposition temperatures (above 200 °C), SiNx:H films on all the above metals had small RMS values, except for films on Cu which cracked at 250 °C. BHF (10:1) etch rate increased dramatically for nitride films deposited below 150 °C. For different underlying films, the BHF etch rate was quite different, but exhibited the same trend with decrease in deposition temperature. AES measurements showed that Si and N concentrations in the SiNx:H films were only slightly different for the various deposition temperatures and underlying materials. AES depth profile of nitride films indicated that both surface O content and the depth of oxygen penetrating into SiNx:H increased for low temperature-deposited films. However, there was no observed oxygen signal from within the films, even for films deposited at 100 °C, and both Si and N concentrations were uniform throughout the film.