CHARACTERIZATION OF SIN THIN-FILMS WITH SPECTROSCOPIC ELLIPSOMETRY

In this work we present spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements on a variety of SiN thin films grown with different techniques. In conjunction with the tetrahedron model for amorphous semiconductors and dielectrics and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy results we propose that the dielectric function can be indicative of the nitrogen content in the material. In addition, we estimate major optical parameters characterizing the materials, such as the fundamental and Penn gaps and the thickness. Furthermore, we analyze and discuss the effect of annealing under vacuum conditions and in N, atmosphere on the thin-film stoichiometry and the modification of the bonds by both SE and elastic recoil detection techniques.