Oxidation of silicon (oxy)nitride and nitridation of silicon dioxide: Manifestations of the same chemical reaction system?

Abstract

The study of the oxidation mechanism of low pressure and plasma-enhanced chemically vapour-deposited silicon nitride and oxynitride thin films in H 2OO 2 mixtures and the nitridation of SiO 2 thin films in NH 3 is motivated by the growing interest in these processes for use in microelectronics technology. In this paper, recent experimental results of oxidation and nitridation studies will be reviewed. Most reported data have been obtained using high energy ion beam analysis techniques. The results of (among others) hydrogen depth-profiling measurements unravel the essential role of hydrogen in the conversion of (oxy)nitride into oxide and of oxide into oxynitride. A unified picture describing the mechanisms of the oxidation and nitridation will be discussed.