Precipitation and crystallization of nanometer Si clusters in annealed Si-rich SiO2 films

Si-rich SiO2 films with three different degrees of Si-richness were deposit ed by RF magnetron sputtering using Si-SiO2 composite targets. X-ray photoe lectron spectroscopy measurements indicate that Si clusters were present in the as-deposited films. The precipitation and crystallization of nanometer Si clusters in SiO2 films annealed at high temperatures have been studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffrac tion. Si nanocrystallites were observed in the sample deposited using a Si- SiO2 composite target having a 30% area of Si and which had been annealed a t 900 degrees C. The average size and density of Si nanocrystallites in the films increased notably as the annealing temperature was increased from 90 0 to 1100 degrees C, Thus, using a 1100 degrees C anneal and increasing the area percentage of Si in the composite target from 20 to 30%, the average size of Si nanocrystallites increased about 15%, and the density of Si nano crystallites increased by a factor of about 2.5. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.