TY - JOUR
T1 - Chemical bonding and interdiffusion in scaled down SiO2/Si 3N4/SiO2 stacks with top oxide formed by thermal ed copyoxidation
AU - Saraf, Meirav
AU - Edrei, Rachel
AU - Akhvlediani, Roza
AU - Roizin, Yakov
AU - Shima-Edelstein, Ruth
AU - Hoffman, Alon
PY - 2006/7
Y1 - 2006/7
N2 - The influence of thermal oxidation on the composition of silicon nitride films in SiO2/Si3N4/SiO2 stacks for advanced nonvolatile memories is reported. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses lead to the conclusion that wet thermal (pyrogenic) oxidation of silicon nitride enhances the incorporation of oxygen into the silicon nitride layer and creates a silicon oxynitride layer. In the oxynitride layer formed by wet oxidation, O is mostly bonded to N, whereas in the native oxynitride at the silicon nitride surface, O is preferentially bonded to Si. Dry oxidation (1200°C) results in an even higher amount of oxygen incorporation into the silicon nitride layer as compared with the pyrogenic process. After both pyrogenic and dry oxidation, hydrogen concentration decreases in the bulk of the silicon nitride layer. Following wet oxidation, hydrogen was found to accumulate at the surface layers of the grown oxynitride film. Oxygen penetration into the nitride layer was found to be higher in thinner nitride layers. The peculiarities of hydrogen distribution were not affected by the thickness of the nitride layer.
AB - The influence of thermal oxidation on the composition of silicon nitride films in SiO2/Si3N4/SiO2 stacks for advanced nonvolatile memories is reported. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses lead to the conclusion that wet thermal (pyrogenic) oxidation of silicon nitride enhances the incorporation of oxygen into the silicon nitride layer and creates a silicon oxynitride layer. In the oxynitride layer formed by wet oxidation, O is mostly bonded to N, whereas in the native oxynitride at the silicon nitride surface, O is preferentially bonded to Si. Dry oxidation (1200°C) results in an even higher amount of oxygen incorporation into the silicon nitride layer as compared with the pyrogenic process. After both pyrogenic and dry oxidation, hydrogen concentration decreases in the bulk of the silicon nitride layer. Following wet oxidation, hydrogen was found to accumulate at the surface layers of the grown oxynitride film. Oxygen penetration into the nitride layer was found to be higher in thinner nitride layers. The peculiarities of hydrogen distribution were not affected by the thickness of the nitride layer.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33746494077&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1116/1.2209990
DO - 10.1116/1.2209990
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AN - SCOPUS:33746494077
SN - 1071-1023
VL - 24
SP - 1716
EP - 1723
JO - Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures
JF - Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures
IS - 4
ER -