SILICON-NITRIDE GROWTH IN A HIGH-DENSITY PLASMA SYSTEM

Silicon nitride is used in many different semiconductor applications, including passivation layers, masking layers, and as dielectrics for s pecialty gates. plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) of s ilicon nitride can lower processing temperatures and stress in the fil m, hut can result in higher hydrogen content and lower density than fi lms deposited by thermal decomposition. Silicon nitride films deposite d from high-density plasmas (HDP) have lower hydrogen content, lower s tress, and higher density than conventional PECVD films. This article will focus on deposition of silicon nitride from an electron cyclotron resonance plasma.