Room temperature deposition of silicon nitride films for passivation of organic electroluminescence device using a sputtering-type electron cyclotronresonance plasma

Dense silicon nitride (SiN) films were deposited at room temperature by a s puttering technique using an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma. Fil m properties were studied using ellipsometry, chemical etching, Fourier tra nsform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal desorption spectroscopy. A SiN fi lm deposited under the optimum condition of nitrogen gas flew rate had a re fractive index of 2.03 and showed a large Si-N bond number. The SiN film ha d a high barrier against moisture penetration relative to SiN films prepare d by chemical vapor deposition at 900 degrees C. This indicates that the fi lm deposited using a sputtering-type ECR plasma has the potential to be uti lized as a passivation layer of devices such as organic electroluminescence , which require low temperature processing.