Oxidation behaviour of LPCVD silicon oxynitride films

doi:10.1016/0169-4332(88)90377-7

Applied Surface Science

Volumes 33–34, September 1988, Pages 757-764

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Abstract

In view of their application as oxidation masks in a modified LOCOS technology the oxidation behaviour of LPCVD silicon oxynitrides was investigated. In dry oxygen hardly any oxidation occurs. The oxidation rate increases with partial water pressure in the ambient. However, in any case the oxidation of oxynitride is at least one order of magnitude smaller than that of silicon. Layers with a composition near O/N = 0.4 were found to have the greatest oxidation resistance. The performance can be further improved by annealing the films prior to oxidation. A model is proposed in which the out-diffusion of N-containing reaction products limits the rate of oxidation. Hydrogen, originating from both the ambient and the as-deposited layer, plays a peculiar role in this process.

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Cited by (5)

Oxidation of silicon (oxy)nitride and nitridation of silicon dioxide: Manifestations of the same chemical reaction system?
1990, Thin Solid Films
The study of the oxidation mechanism of low pressure and plasma-enhanced chemically vapour-deposited silicon nitride and oxynitride thin films in H₂OO₂ mixtures and the nitridation of SiO₂ thin films in NH₃ is motivated by the growing interest in these processes for use in microelectronics technology. In this paper, recent experimental results of oxidation and nitridation studies will be reviewed. Most reported data have been obtained using high energy ion beam analysis techniques. The results of (among others) hydrogen depth-profiling measurements unravel the essential role of hydrogen in the conversion of (oxy)nitride into oxide and of oxide into oxynitride. A unified picture describing the mechanisms of the oxidation and nitridation will be discussed.
Hydrogen in oxidized silicon oxynitride thin films
1988, Applied Surface Science
Silicon oxynitride films with O/N ratios ranging between 0 and 1 have been oxidized in dry and wet ambients at 1000°C for times ranging from 0.5 up to 9 h. Since it is believed that hydrogen plays a crucial role in the oxidation of silicon oxynitrides the H depth distribution in the oxide/(oxy)nitride layer structures was investigated. For the analysis we applied high energy ion beam methods, viz. nuclear reaction analysis and elastic recoil detection. The hydrogen depth profiles are characterized by a hydrogen pile-up at the oxide/(oxy)nitride interface; the H concentrations in the oxide as well as in the remaining oxynitrides are below 1 at%. In this paper we report the amount of H in the interfacial region (H_int) as a function of the oxidation parameters. H_int increases with increasing O/N and with increasing H₂O/O₂ gas-phase ratio up to H₂O/O₂ = 75/25. At low O/N ratios, H_int increases with oxidation time, whereas at large O/N values it decreases. The origin of the H pile-up is briefly discussed.
Silicon nitride chemical mechanical polishing mechanisms
1998, Journal of the Electrochemical Society
The oxidation mechanism of low-pressure dry oxidation of nitrides for memory devices
1997, Journal of the Electrochemical Society
Hydrogen incorporation in silicon (oxy)nitride thin films
1988, Applied Physics Letters

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Oxidation behaviour of LPCVD silicon oxynitride films

Abstract

Solid-State Electron.

Thin Solid Films

Philips Res. Rept.

LPCVD Silicon Oxynitrides for LOCOS Isolation in CMOS Technology

ESPRIT Technical Week

J. Vacuum Sci. Technol.

Japan. J. Appl. Phys.