SENSITIZATION OF SILICON-NITRIDE SURFACES FOR AG-IMPLANTATION( IONS BY ION)

Thin films of Si(3)N4 implanted with Ag+ and S+ ions were studied usin g electrolyte insulator semiconductor measurements (EIS), Auger electr on spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), transm ission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The ion implantation results in embedding silver metal particles, submicron in size, enveloped by a thin skin of Ag2S within the matrix layer. This composite material is shown to be responsible for the Ag+ ion sensitiv ity. The Ag+ ion sensitivity observed reveals values ranging from some millivolts to nearly Nernstian response. A modeling on the basis of s ite-binding theory was made to describe the ion sensitivity of the com posite material surface. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.