TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE OF SILICON PRECIPITATION IN THIN SURFACE-LAYEROF SI3N4 INDUCED BY EXCIMER-LASER IRRADIATION

Surfaces of amorphous Si3N4 films are studied in detail with X-lay pho toemission spectroscopy, when they are exposed to an ArF excimer laser at room and elevated temperatures. Silicon precipitation is induced w hen the laser fluence is higher than 0.2 J/cm(2). The critical value i s independent of temperature while the sample surfaces are exposed to the laser pulses. The elevated temperature enhances the silicon precip itation in the range of laser fluence between 0.2 and 0.5 J/cm(2). The amounts have a tendency of saturation in such senses of both the surf ace areas and depths with the laser fluence above 0.5 J/cm(2).