Characterization of silicon nitride thin films deposited by reactive sputtering and plasma-enhanced CVD at low temperatures

摘要

Low-temperature deposition has been required for preparing SiN_x films of high density, high refractive index, and low hydrogen content for various applications. We examine the characteristics of SiN_x films deposited at low temperature by reactive sputtering and plasma-enhanced CVD under different conditions. The results reveal that we can give an outline of the preparation conditions that provide the properties of SiN_x films required for various applications. The pretreatment of the Si target improves the properties of the sputter-deposited SiN_x films by reducing the amount of oxygen incorporation.