N. Duez et al., XPS investigation of aluminum and silicon surfaces nitrided by a distributed electron cyclotron resonance nitrogen plasma, SURF SCI, 482, 2001, pp. 220-226
Aluminum and silicon samples were nitrided by a distributed electron cyclot
ron resonance nitrogen plasma. The plasma conditions used for the treatment
correspond to a maximum N-2' concentration in the sample position, determi
ned by optical emission spectroscopy. The substrates were always polarized
by a DC bias voltage at -120 V and were externally heated or not. Nitrided
samples were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) after
an exposure to ambient air. A depth profile of the treated substrates was a
chieved by AC etching sequences in the XPS spectrometer. When the samples a
re polarized and heated at 500 degreesC during the plasma treatment, the ni
tride layer (dense AIN or Si3N4 and diffusion layers) obtained on aluminum
(similar to0.3 mum) is much thicker than on silicon (similar to 30 Angstrom
). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.