ELECTRON-CYCLOTRON-RESONANCE PLASMA-ASSISTED SPUTTER-DEPOSITION OF BORON-NITRIDE FILMS

Boron nitride films have been deposited on p-type silicon substrates b y rf sputtering in the presence of an electron cyclotron resonance (EC R) plasma at a temperature of 450 degrees C. Structural phases were id entified using IR spectroscopy and electrical characterization was car ried out in the metal-insulator-semiconductor configuration. It was sh own that the presence of ECR plasma enhanced the formation of cubic ph ase at substrate temperature as low as 450 degrees C, along with hexag onal phase. The dielectric constant was found to be 6-8 and the resist ivity was about 10(12) Omega cm. The capacitance-voltage characteristi cs indicated good electronic interface with the presence of ECR plasma , with the density of states of about 1.18x10(12) eV(-1) cm(-2). The d ensity of states was found to be higher by a factor of 2 in the absenc e of ECR plasma. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.