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Stress Generation in PECVD Silicon Nitride Thin Films for Microelectronics Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

M. Belyansky
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
N. Klymko
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
A. Madan
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
A. Mallikarjunan
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
Y. Li
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
A. Chakravarti
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
S. Deshpande
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
A. Domenicucci
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
S. Bedell
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
E. Adams
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
J. Coffin
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
L. Tai
Affiliation:
IBM Semiconductor R&D Center, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
S.P. Sun
Affiliation:
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc; Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
J. Widodo
Affiliation:
Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing; Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
C.W Lai
Affiliation:
Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing; Hopewell Junction, NY 12533, USA
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Abstract

Thin SiN films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) have been analyzed by a variety of analytical techniques including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray reflectivity (XRR), and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry/Hydrogen Forward Scattering (RBS/HFS) to collect data on bonding, density and chemical composition respectively. Both tensile and compressive SiN films have been deposited and analyzed. Mechanisms of stress formation in SiN thin films are discussed. It has been found that amount of bonded hydrogen as detected by FTIR is higher for compressive films compared to tensile SiN films. Amount of bonded hydrogen in a film is correlated well with tensile stress. Effect of deposition temperature and other process parameters on stress have been studied. Exposure of SiN films to elevated temperature after deposition lead to increase in tension and degradation in compressive stress. New approaches to stress generation in thin films like creation of multilayer film structures have been delineated.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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