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Microstructural Identification of SiNx Films by Real-Time Ellipsometry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

G. Soto ,
E. C. Samano ,
R. Machorro ,
M. Avalos  and
L. Cota
G. Soto
Affiliation:
Instituto de Física, UNAM., Laboratorio de Ensenada, A. Postal 2681, 22800 Ensenada B.C., México.
E. C. Samano
Affiliation:
Also at Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Programa de Posgrado en Física de Materiales, A. Postal 2681, 22800 Ensenada B.C., México.
R. Machorro
Affiliation:
Also at Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Programa de Posgrado en Física de Materiales, A. Postal 2681, 22800 Ensenada B.C., México.
M. Avalos
Affiliation:
Also at Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Programa de Posgrado en Física de Materiales, A. Postal 2681, 22800 Ensenada B.C., México.
L. Cota
Affiliation:
Also at Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Programa de Posgrado en Física de Materiales, A. Postal 2681, 22800 Ensenada B.C., México.
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Abstract

Real-time ellipsometry has shown to be a powerful tool to analyze thin films during processing. It is non-disturbing and its sensitivity lies in the submonolayer range. In fact, a slight variation in the film microstructure might result in a significant change of the polarization state of the reflected beam from the sample surface. SiNx layers have been grown on glass, quartz, KC1 and Si substrates by laser ablating a Si3N4 sintered target in vacuum and N2 environment. The film growth was monitored by real time ellipsometry at a fixed wavelength, and a fixed incidence angle. Once the deposition process is completed, the refractive index was obtained by perfoming in situ spectroellipsometric measurements in the 1.5 to 5 eV photon-energy range. The best curve fitting of the experimental data is used to find the film composition: a mixture of Si3N4, polycrystalline Si, and amorphous Si. The films composition and micro structure inferred from ellipsometric data are compared to those obtained by in-situ surface techniques and TEM, respectively.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 472: Symposium I – Polycrystalline Thin Films - Structure, Texture, Properties..III , 1997 , 349
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1997

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References

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