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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2011
In this work, low temperature (300 – 450°C) plasma nitridation was conducted using N2O and NH3 atmosphere to produce an ultrathin SiOx Ny layer. The bonding structure, distribution, and quantity of nitrogen and their effects on the growth kinetic of SiOx Ny layers are studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is found that nitrogen atoms pile at the SiOx Ny /Si interface at the very beginning of plasma N2O and NH3 nitridation. Due to the lack of additional Si source and low diffusivity of O or N atoms at low temperature, plasma nitridation will form a self-limited growth of SiOx Ny layer. Thermal stability of the interlayer between ultrathin Ta2O5 films on bare Si, plasma N2O nitrided Si, and plasma NH3 nitrided Si is also studied.