LOW-TEMPERATURE DEPOSITION OF HIGH-QUALITY SILICON DIOXIDE FILMS BY SPUTTERING-TYPE ELECTRON-CYCLOTRON-RESONANCE PLASMA

High-quality silicon dioxide films have been deposited at 130 degrees C by a sputtering technique using an electron cyclotron resonance micr owave plasma. Film properties have been studied as a function of O-2 f low rate in the range of 2-8 seem with a constant Ar flow rate of 8 sc cm when other plasma conditions were a microwave power of 700 W, and a radio frequency power of 700 W supplied to a target for sputtering. D ielectric breakdown characteristics have been investigated by ramp cur rent-voltage measurements. Films deposited with an O-2 flow rate of 5. 3 sccm have a dielectric breakdown field of 10 MV/cm, which is close t o that of thermally grown silicon dioxide film. The deposition rate wa s as high as 23 nm/min. Structural properties of films have also been characterized by ellipsometry and infrared absorption spectroscopy, sh owing that films with O-2 flow rates above 4 sccm have near-stoichiome tric composition. (C) 1997 American Vacuum Society.