Nitrous Oxide-Based Progressive Silicon Oxynitridation in Furnaces of Different Dimensions

摘要

As integrated device technologies enter the deep sub-half micron regime, there is a need for a corresponding reduction in the thickness of the dielectrics too. After formation of the dielectric film, maintenance of its characteristics during subsequent processing is also a necessity. Due to the less attractive characteristics of silicon dioxide (which has so far been the material of choice) for dielectrics less than about 100 A thick, new materials have to be explored as dielectrics. In this regard, silicon oxynitrides have shown promising characteristics. This study deals with the progress of Oxynitridation of silicon in nitrous oxide with increasing time at 900℃ and 1 arm in two furnaces of different dimensions. It is found that both the nitrogen incorporation and removal processes occur very differently in the two reactors studied, thus depicting the effect of reactor scaling factors on the amount and concentration profile of nitrogen in the oxynitride film. A qualitative growth model is proposed to explain the observations. Besides, the effect of reaction kinetics and transport phenomena on silicon Oxynitridation are also discussed.