PREPARATION OF A-SINX THIN-FILM WITH LOW HYDROGEN CONTENT BY INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION

Amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiNx) thin films are deposited at low tem perature by remote-type inductively coupled plasma enhanced chemical v apor deposition (ICP-CVD) using N-2/SiH4 gases as reactant gases to ob tain low hydrogen content in the films. Refractive index, deposition r ate, stoichiometry, hydrogen content, and hydrogen configuration in th e films are analyzed with the varation of deposition parameters. As RF power and N-2 flow rate increase, refractive index decreases due to t he decrease of Si/N ratio, total hydrogen content is constant with N-H changing hydrogen bond configurations (Si-H, N-H) reversely. However, as substrate temperature increases, refractive index increases due to the reduction of Si/N ratio, and total hydrogen content as well as bo th hydrogen bond configurations (Si-PI, N-H) decrease. In remote-type ICP-CVD using N-2/SiH4 gases, N rich a-SiNx films with low refractive index and density are deposited due to efficient dissociation of N-2 g as by high density plasma, and hydrogen content in the films is greatl y reduced.