Title: Physico-chemical properties of SiO_XN_Y thin films

Authors: R. Mahamdi, L. Saci, F. Mansour, C. Molliet, P. Temple-Boyer, E. Scheid

Addresses: LEMEA MED Laboratory, Department of Electronics University, Route Ain El-Bey, Constantine, 25000, Algeria; Department of Electronics University Hadj Lakhdar Batna, Av., Bouklouf Mouhamed El-Hadi, Batna, 05000, Algeria. ' LEMEA MED Laboratory, Department of Electronics University, Route Ain El-Bey, Constantine, 25000, Algeria. ' LEMEA MED Laboratory, Department of Electronics University, Route Ain El-Bey, Constantine, 25000, Algeria. ' Universite de Toulouse, LAAS-CNRS, 7, Av., Colonel Roche, 31077, Toulouse Cedex 4, France. ' Universite de Toulouse, LAAS-CNRS, 7, Av., Colonel Roche, 31077, Toulouse Cedex 4, France. ' Universite de Toulouse, LAAS-CNRS, 7, Av., Colonel Roche, 31077, Toulouse Cedex 4, France

Abstract: The physico-chemical properties of silicon oxynitride (SiO_XN_Y) thin films deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition technique (PECVD) from a mixture of SiH₄, NH₃, N₂O and N₂ have been studied. The N₂O flow rate was varied from 0 to 75 standard cubic centimetres per minute (sccm). When the oxygen content in the plasma is increased, the deposit composition changed from SiNx to SiO_XN_Y. All samples have been thermally annealed in a classic furnace at different temperatures for 30 minute duration. Finally, the variations of the films chemical constitution are studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). This analysis clearly shows the reduction of the absorption peaks related to the hydrogen atom in the silicon matrix. This layer can be largely used as insulator material for electronic device.

Keywords: SiOxNy; silicon oxynitride thin films; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; FTIR; nanotechnology; plasma enhanced CVD; chemical vapour deposition; PECVD; insulator materials; electronic devices; nanomaterials.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNBM.2009.027731

International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials, 2009 Vol.2 No.1/2/3/4/5, pp.347 - 353

Published online: 08 Aug 2009 *

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