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Dangling Bonds in Amorphous Silicon Nitride Alloys: Predictions of the Free Energy Model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2011

F. W. Smith ,
H. Efstathiadis  and
Z. Yin
F. W. Smith
Affiliation:
Physics Department, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031
H. Efstathiadis
Affiliation:
Physics Department, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031
Z. Yin
Affiliation:
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 2263
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Abstract

The free energy model (FEM) for bonding in a-SixNyHz alloys has been extended to include the contributions of neutral and charged Si and N defects to the free energy of mixing of the amorphous alloy. The FEM predicts that the dominant defects in N-rich alloys are N2o, N2-, and either S3+ or N2+, in contrast to the results of experimental studies that find the dominant neutral, paramagnetic defect to be Si3o. It is concluded that either the observed Si3o defects are not in thermodynamic equilibrium with the amorphous network or the N2o defects have energy levels which lie much higher in the energy gap than currently believed.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 284: Symposium G – Amorphous Insulating Thin Films , 1992 , 95
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1993

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References

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