Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T01:58:58.442Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Growth and Surface Morphology of Thin Silicon Films Using an atomic Force Microscope

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Rama I. Hegde ,
Mark A. Chonko  and
Philip J. Tobin
Rama I. Hegde
Affiliation:
Advanced Products Research and Development Laboratory, Motorola, Inc., Austin, Texas 78721
Mark A. Chonko
Affiliation:
Advanced Products Research and Development Laboratory, Motorola, Inc., Austin, Texas 78721
Philip J. Tobin
Affiliation:
Advanced Products Research and Development Laboratory, Motorola, Inc., Austin, Texas 78721
Get access

Abstract

The growth and surface morphology of thin LPCVD silicon films were investigated with an atomic force microscope (AFM). Silicon films of 30 nm thicknesses were deposited on SiO2 using SiH4 at four different temperatures between 550 °C and 625 °C. These AFM results permitted visualization of silicon surface granularity, roughness, and the transition with temperature from amorphous to crystalline structure between 550 °C and 580 °C. The surface of the amorphous film deposited at 550 °C is very smooth and the film is continuous physically, while the film formed at 580 °C appears crystalline, rough and porous. At 600 °C and 625 °C the films are fully crystalline. For these higher temperature films surface roughness and the average grain size decreased significantly compared to 580 °C film. Crystallinity and film continuity were further examined by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and cross-sectional TEM measurements.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 295: Symposium W – Atomic-Scale Imaging of Surfaces and Interfaces , 1992 , 65
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Kamins, T., “Polycrystalline silicon for integrated circuit applications,” Kluwer, Academic Publishers, (1988).Google Scholar
2 Kermani, A., Johnsgard, K. E., Wong, F., Solid State Technology (1991) 71.Google Scholar
3 Hegde, R. I., Chonko, M. A. and Tobin, P. J., Spring ECS, 1993 (submitted).Google Scholar
4 Iverson, R. B. and Reif, R., J. Appl. Phys. 62, (1987) 1675.Google Scholar
5 Chonko, M., Vandenberg, D. and Keitz, D., Second International Symposium on Physics and Chemistry of SiO2 and Si/SiO2 Interface, Spring ECS, 92-1 (1992) 390.Google Scholar
6 Hegde, R. I. and Tobin, P. J., Surface Science, 261, (1992) 1.Google Scholar