PROPERTIES OF SILICON DIOXIDE FILM DEPOSITED BY PECVD AT LOW TEMPERATURE/PRESSURE

In this paper we report results on synthesis of thin films of silicon dioxide (SiO2) using conventional plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at low temperature/pressure with silane (SiH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) as precursor gases. The ellipsometer and stress measurement system were used to test the thickness and refractive index uniformity of the SiO2 film fabricated. The effects of radio frequency (RF) power chamber pressure and N2O/SiH4 flow ratio on the properties of SiO2 film were studied. The results show that the refractive index of SiO2 film is mainly determined by N2O/SiH4 flow ratio. Moreover, the formation of SiO2 thin films is confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The thickness and refractive indices of the films measured by ellipsometry C-V measurement show that the electrical properties are directly related to process parameters and Si/SiO2 interface. The MIS structures were also fabricated from optimized SiO2 layer to study C-V measurement and to estimate interface, oxide and effective border traps density. The deposited SiO2 films have good uniformity, compact structure, high deposition rate, low deposition temperature and controllable stress, which can be widely, used in semiconductor devices.