Abstract
The thermal dry-oxygen oxidation of Si 3N 4 films prepared by the ammonolysis of monosilane was investigated. Multiple internal reflection and simple transmission spectroscopy at IR wavelengths were used to determine the chemical composition of the films. The decrease in the thickness of the Si 3N 4 films after each oxidation run was measured by an ellipsometric technique using a hollow quartz prism. The parameters of the parabolic equation for oxidation at 1100°C were calculated for films deposited in the temperature range 750–1100°C. It was found that the oxidation rate depended on the concentration of N—H bonds in the film material. The diffusion of oxygen through the overlying SiO 2 film was found to be the limiting step of the process. The activation energy of the process was 52 kcal mol -1.
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