STRUCTURAL-PROPERTIES OF A-SI1-XNX-H FILMS GROWN BY PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION BY SIH4-2 GAS-MIXTURES(NH3+H)

Amorphous silicon-nitrogen, (a-Si,N-1-x(x),:H) alloys with x in the ra nge 0.01-0.57 have been deposited in a dedicated chamber by ultra high vacuum plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) in SiH4,+NH 3, gas mixtures with different molecule dwell time and by hydrogen dil uting the plasma. By optical spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering s pectrometry (RES), elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) and infrar ed spectroscopy (IR) a complete picture of bonding distribution and st ructural properties of device-quality a-Si,(1-x),N-x:H films as a func tion of deposition conditions has been drawn.;Annealing experiments un der vacuum up to 500 degrees C have shown that in all the compositiona l range the films are thermally stable up to 400 degrees C, for higher temperature bonded hydrogen effuses from both silicon and nitrogen at oms with behaviours dependent on nitrogen content in the film. (C) 199 7 Elsevier Science S.A.