AVS 50th International Symposium
    Plasma Science and Technology Thursday Sessions
       Session PS1-ThM

Paper PS1-ThM8
Creation of SiOF Films with SiF@sub 4@/O@sub 2@ Plasmas: from Gas-Surface Interactions to Film Formation

Thursday, November 6, 2003, 10:40 am, Room 314

Session: Plasma-Surface Interactions: Deposition
Presenter: J. Zhang, Colorado State University
Authors: J. Zhang, Colorado State University
E.R. Fisher, Colorado State University
Correspondent: Click to Email
Fluorinated SiO@sub 2@ (SiOF) films have been studied because of their relatively low dielectric constant and their potential as a replacement for SiO@sub 2@ in the microelectronics industry. Despite the intense scrutiny, many of the details of the mechanisms for SiOF film deposition remain unclear. Here, we deposited SiOF films using SiF@sub 4@/O@sub 2@ plasmas. The plasma parameters of SiF@sub 4@ percentage in the feed gases (%SiF@sub 4@) and applied rf power (P) were studied as well as the effects of ion bombardment and substrate temperature on film deposition. Fluorine incorporation in the film increases with increasing %SiF@sub 4@ and P. Film deposition rate also increases with P, whereas its dependence on %SiF@sub 4@ is more complex. Ion bombardment decreases the film deposition rate and affects film composition significantly. On the molecular level, we examined the surface reactivity of SiF and SiF@sub 2@ during SiOF film deposition using the imaging of radicals interacting with surfaces (IRIS) technique. SiF shows high surface reactivity, R, which varies from 0.95 ± 0.08 to 0.60 ± 0.07, depending on plasma parameters. In contract, SiF@sub 2@ shows significant surface production. The scattering coefficient, S, varies from 1.12 ± 0.08 to 2.52 ± 0.16. The surface interactions of SiF and SiF@sub 2@, along with plasma gas-phase composition, were correlated with film characteristics to reveal the possible film-deposition processes.