AVS 47th International Symposium
    Thin Films Tuesday Sessions
       Session TF-TuP

Paper TF-TuP38
Characterization of the Reactive Species in an Atmospheric-Pressure Nitrogen Plasma

Tuesday, October 3, 2000, 5:30 pm, Room Exhibit Hall C & D

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: G. Ding, University of California, Los Angeles
Authors: G. Ding, University of California, Los Angeles
S.E. Babayan, University of California, Los Angeles
G. Nowling, University of California, Los Angeles
R.F. Hicks, University of California, Los Angeles
Correspondent: Click to Email
A nitrogen and helium plasma, operating at atmospheric pressure and powered by radio-frequency power at 13.56 MHz, has been investigated to understand the reaction chemistry for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of nitride materials. Spatial and temporal profiles of excited molecular nitrogen (A, B, and C states) were obtained by optical emission and absorption spectroscopy. In addition, the relative populations of the vibrational states of the ground-state nitrogen molecules were examined. The nitrogen atom concentration was attained by nitric oxide titration and by determining the rate constant for the recombination of nitrogen atoms to form the B state of excited molecular nitrogen. The concentration profiles of all these species were compared with a numerical model of the reacting flow. It has been found that the metastable molecular nitrogen and nitrogen atom concentrations are in the range of 10@super 12@ to 10@super 15@ cm@super -3@. Silicon nitride films were deposited on silicon substrates by combining silane with the effluent from the atmospheric pressure plasma source. Deposition rates of 100 nm/min were observed at substrate temperatures of 400±25 °C. After growth, the optical, electrical, and chemical properties of the films indicated that high quality silicon nitride was produced. The relationship between the film properties and the plasma chemistry will be discussed at the meeting.