NITROGEN DEPTH DISTRIBUTION, INTERFACE AND STRUCTURE-ANALYSIS OF SINXLAYERS PRODUCED BY LOW-ENERGY ION-IMPLANTATION

Thin silicon nitride (SiNx) layers with the stoichiometric N/Si ratio of 1.33 in the maximum of the concentration depth distributions of nit rogen were produced by implanting 10 keV N-15(2)+ in [100] silicon at room temperature under high vacuum conditions. The depth distribution of the implanted isotope was measured by resonance nuclear reaction an alysis (NRA), whereas the layer structure of the implanted region and the geometrical thickness of the layers were characterised by high res olution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SiNx layers with a thi ckness of about 30 nm were determined by NRA. Channeling Rutherford ba ckscattering spectrometry was used to determine the disorder in the si licon substrate. Sharp interfaces of a few nanometers between the high ly disordered implanted region and the crystalline structure of the su bstrate thickness were observed by TEM. The high thermal stability of SIN, layers with N/Si ratios From under to over stoichiometric could b e shown by electron beam rapid thermal annealing (1100 degrees C for 1 5 s, ramping up and down 5 degrees C/s) and NRA.