VUV-light-induced deposited silica films

Abstract

A novel technique to deposit dielectric films at room temperature is described. The deposition of the silica takes place inside a cylindrical glass chamber where a silent discharge is generated between two electrodes connected to a high voltage, high frequency AC source. The chamber contains two parallel glass tubes where the electrodes are located and is filled with argon or xenon at a pressure of 100 mbar. Under these conditions, it has been shown that high intensity VUV light is generated peaking at 126 nm for argon and at 172 nm for xenon. This VUV radiation seems to produce photoablation of the glass tubes that surround the electrodes. Upon operation of the lamp, polyimide, polypropylene and silicon wafer substrates lying at the bottom of the vessel became coated with silica. The films, identified using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), revealed that the silica is oxygen-deficient with a composition of SiO x where x is between 1.7 and 1.8. The deposition rate on silicon wafers was measured by ellipsometry. When Xe gas is used the deposition rate is much lower than when Ar is used. This result is consistent with a photoablation process since the energy of the photons generated in Ar peaks at 10 eV while those generated in Xe peaks at 7 eV. These energy values should be compared with the O–Si bond strength energy that is 8.3 eV. The morphology and structure of the films were examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopies. Deposition of carbonaceous films occurred when the glass tubes containing the electrodes were coated with carbon.