Growth and characterization of silicon nitride films produced by remote microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

Films of silicon nitride have been grown in an ultrahigh vacuum system by the reaction of silane with nitrogen remotely excited in a microwave plasma at pressures in the range 0.1–0.9 Torr with substrate temperatures in the range 70–350 °C. Growth rates have been determined as a function of silane–nitrogen flow ratio, pressure, microwave power, and substrate temperature in order to give some insight into the growth mechanism. Results indicate …