CHEMICAL INFLUENCE OF INERT-GAS ON THE THIN-FILM STRESS IN PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITED ALPHA-SIN-H FILMS

The growth of amorphous hydrogenated silicon nitride (a-SiN:H) films b y plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of SiH4-NH3-N-2 re active gas mixtures has been studied. Films were deposited at low temp erature (T < 250 degrees C) in a commercial PECVD system commonly used to grow a-SiN:H for semiconductor integrated circuit passivation. It has been observed that the stress of the a-SiN:H film can be controlle d through dilution of the film precursors with an inert gas. Experimen ts indicate that the influence of the inert gas on the process extends from growth kinetics and plasma chemistry to hydrogen bonding, elemen tal composition, and biaxial elastic modulus. The stress in films depo sited without dilution is tensile. When argon is added to the plasma, Si-H, plasma chemistry and film hydrogen bond density change producing a reduction in the amount of tensile stress. Dilution with helium can be used to shift the film stress from tensile to compressive with min imum change in growth rate. The observed helium/film stress relationsh ip is associated with helium-based Penning ionization processes, which create metastable reactive gas species. In turn, the metastables infl uence nitrogen and hydrogen incorporation into the film. Nitrogen inco rporation produces volume expansion of the film, increasing the compre ssive character of the film stress. This effect is similar to that obs erved when the RF power is varied or when low or multifrequency plasma excitation is used during PECVD growth of a-SiN:H.