AVS 51st International Symposium
    Thin Films Monday Sessions
       Session TF-MoP

Paper TF-MoP3
Tailored Stoichiometries of Silicon Carbonitride Thin Films Prepared by Combined RF Magnetron Sputtering and Ion Beam Synthesis

Monday, November 15, 2004, 5:00 pm, Room Exhibit Hall B

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: M. Bruns, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Germany
Authors: M. Bruns, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Germany
U. Geckle, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Germany
V. Trouillet, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, Germany
M. Rudolphi, Universitaet Frankfurt /Main, Germany
H. Baumann, Universitaet Frankfurt /Main, Germany
Correspondent: Click to Email
There is great interest in the ternary system Si-C-N due to the expected attainability of materials combining the properties of silicon carbide and silicon nitride. Various precursor based techniques have been employed to synthezise silicon carbonitrides. Most of these efforts result in compounds of deficient nitrogen content and considerable hydrogen and oxygen impurities. In contrast, combined RF magnetron sputtering and ion implantation are suitable to achieve high-purity ternary phases with tailored stoichiometries. Si-C films with defined Si/C ratios can be obtained using co-sputter targets of different Si/C area ratios. In a subsequent step surface modification of these Si-C films by high fluence implantation of N ions results in suitable nitrogen concentrations. Severalfold N implantation at different energies enables us to synthesize films with homogeneous element depth-distribution up to the surface. In this work we focus on the most interesting tie lines C@sub 3@N@sub 4@ - Si@sub 3@N@sub 4@ and SiC - Si@sub 3@N@sub 4@. Implanting N ions into sputtered Si-C films enables us to achieve every stoichiometry within the Si-C-N phase diagram. However, the region of attainable stoichiometries is narrowed by formation of Si-C-N phases and N@sub 2@, respectively. For Si/C ratios @<=@1 the N content of 57.4 at.% required for the formation of Si-C-N compounds on the tie line C@sub 3@N@sub 4@ - Si@sub 3@N@sub 4@ cannot be reached by N implantation near RT. @paragraph@The chemical composition of the Si-C-N films was characterized by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, Auger electron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Ellipsometry were used to achieve a comprehensive characterization. For quantification XPS and AES data were calibrated with absolute concentration values from non-Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. Resonant nuclear reaction analysis provides non-destructive depth profiles of @super 15@N.