Silicon Nitride in Electronics: (Materials Science Monographs)

This book is an English version, expanded and brought up to date, of the Russian book published in 1982. It has been written by a group of authors - chemists and physicists - and is designed particularly for specialists who are developing semiconductor devices. Silicon nitride has long been familiar as a material used in the process of manufacturing fire-proof products. During the past decade, it has come into use as a thin dielectric film in electronics, and at present silicon nitride synthesis underlies the basic technology for integrated circuits. The monograph discusses the characteristics that determine the process of synthesis of silicon nitride films, their structure, chemical composition, optical and electrophysical properties, as well as various applications of silicon nitride in electronics.

Table of Contents:
Introduction. 1. General Description of the Processes of Deposition of Silicon Nitride Films from a Gas Phase. Thermodynamic analysis of the silicon nitride CVD processes. Kinetic model of the deposition processes from a gas phase. References. 2. Methods of Synthesis. Direct nitridation of silicon. Deposition from the silane-containing gas phase. Deposition from the gas phase containing silicon tetrahalogens and silane halides. Synthesis of oxynitride silicon films. Synthesis of films by the methods of plasm- and photochemistry. References. 3. Modelling of Low-Pressure CVD Processes. General characteristics of the LPCVD. Thermal conditions of low-pressure reactors. Film thickness uniformity problem. Two groups of processes. Model of the processes with a limiting heterogeneous stage. Model of the processes with a limiting homogeneous stage. Summary. References. 4. Structure and Chemical Composition of Silicon Nitride. Structure of silicon nitride and oxynitride films. Chemical composition of silicon nitride. Chemical bond in silicon nitride. References. 5. Physical-Chemical Transformations in Silicon Nitride Films. Crystallization of silicon nitride and oxynitride films. Variation of the chemical composition of silicon nitride films under thermal treatment in different gaseous ambiences. Diffusion of impurities in silicon nitride films. Dissolution of silicon nitride films. References. 6. Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of Silicon Nitride. Silicon nitride structure of variable composition according to data of electron and vibrational spectroscopy. Electronic structure of a-Si 3 N 4 . Electronic structure of a-SiN x O y and SiN x . Optical properties of silicon nitride. Energy diagram of the MNS structure. Optical properties of a-SiN x O y and energy diagram of the Si-SiN x O y -Al structures. Red shift of the absorption edge in SiN x and irradiated Si 3 N 4 . Models of deep centres in a-Si 3 N 4 . References. 7. Electrophysical Properties. General description of electronic processes in amorphous silicon nitride. Polarization of silicon nitride layers. Depolarization of silicon nitride layers. Silicon nitride conduction. Recombination and diffusion of charge carriers in silicon nitride. Complex conductivity and noises of silicon nitride. Degradation of electrophysical properties of silicon nitride. Properties of nonstoichiometric silicon nitride. References. 8. Application of Silicon Nitride Films in Microelectronics. LOCOS process. Silicon nitride as a mask in diffusion. Silicon nitride films in electrically programmed read only memory (EPROM). Use of silicon nitride films for stabilization of MIS transistors. Ion-selective MNOS-transistors as indicators of pH of solutions and hydrogen impurities in gases. Films of silicon nitride and oxynitride as elements of the constructions of integrated optics. Optical MD on MNOS-structures. Increase of the radiative stability of MIS devices.