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Investigations on PECVD boron carbonitride layers by means of ERDA, XPS and nano-indentation measurements

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Abstract.

The deposition of boron carbonitride layers on silicon substrates by a microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (MW-PECVD) process using N-trimethylborazine (TMB) and benzene as precursors is presented. As plasma gases argon and nitrogen were used. In this investigation we focus on the influence of the gas composition, substrate temperature and -bias on the layer composition, layer structure as well as the thermal stability. The films were analyzed with respect to their composition and bonding structure using elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Furthermore, nano-indentation measurements before and after annealing tests at 500 and 700 °C were performed. The measurements show a strong dependence of the structure and mechanical properties on the substrate temperature. The hydrogen content strongly decreases to 8 at.% with higher substrate temperatures. Simultaneously, the layer hardness and Young’s modulus increase up to 21 and 173 GPa, respectively. The hardness does not decrease after annealing for 1 hour at 700 °C.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chemistry, Chemnitz University of Technology, D-09107, Chemnitz, Germany

    Thomas Thamm, Günter Marx & Werner A. Goedel

  2. Hahn-Meitner-Institute Berlin, D-14109, Berlin, Germany

    Wolfgang Bohne, Erik Strub & Jörg Röhrich

  3. Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Daniel Wett & Rüdiger Szargan

Authors
  1. Thomas Thamm
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  2. Daniel Wett
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  3. Wolfgang Bohne
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  4. Erik Strub
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  5. Jörg Röhrich
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  6. Rüdiger Szargan
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  7. Günter Marx
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  8. Werner A. Goedel
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Correspondence to Thomas Thamm.

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Thamm, T., Wett, D., Bohne, W. et al. Investigations on PECVD boron carbonitride layers by means of ERDA, XPS and nano-indentation measurements. Microchim Acta 156, 53–56 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-006-0702-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-006-0702-y

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