GERMANIUM NITRIDE LAYERS PREPARED BY SUPERSONIC RF PLASMA-JET

Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and X-ray photoelectron s pectroscopy (XPS) have been used to characterize GexNy films grown on Si substrates. The films were deposited in a plasma chemical reactor b y a radio frequency (r.f.)-generated supersonic plasma jet. The Ge noz zle of the r.f. electrode was reactively sputtered in the plasma jet g enerated in the nitrogen and the germanium nitride films were created in the reactor. The RBS method showed that the ratio Ge:N in the layer was close to the expected stoichiometric ratio 3:4 (for example, 0.73 , which is within experimental error) when traces of oxygen were suppr essed. The chemical bonding state of Ge-N, as found by XPS analysis, s howed that, close to the thin film surface, the Ge:N ratio was also ne ar 3:4. The impurities present, although in small amount, were prefere ntially bonded into the film.