Investigation of the RF Sputtering Process and the Properties of Deposited Silicon Oxynitride Layers under Varying Reactive Gas Conditions
In a single process run, an amorphous silicon oxynitride layer was grown, which includes the entire transition from oxide to nitride. The variation of the optical properties and the thickness of the layer was characterized by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE) measurements, while the elemental composit...
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/18/6313 |
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| author | Nikolett Hegedüs Csaba Balázsi Tamás Kolonits Dániel Olasz György Sáfrán Miklós Serényi Katalin Balázsi |
| author_facet | Nikolett Hegedüs Csaba Balázsi Tamás Kolonits Dániel Olasz György Sáfrán Miklós Serényi Katalin Balázsi |
| author_sort | Nikolett Hegedüs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In a single process run, an amorphous silicon oxynitride layer was grown, which includes the entire transition from oxide to nitride. The variation of the optical properties and the thickness of the layer was characterized by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE) measurements, while the elemental composition was investigated by Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). It was revealed that the refractive index of the layer at 632.8 nm is tunable in the 1.48–1.89 range by varying the oxygen partial pressure in the chamber. From the data of the composition of the layer, the typical physical parameters of the process were determined by applying the Berg model valid for reactive sputtering. In our modelling, a new approach was introduced, where the metallic Si target sputtered with a uniform nitrogen and variable oxygen gas flow was considered as an oxygen gas-sputtered SiN target. The layer growth method used in the present work and the revealed correlations between sputtering parameters, layer composition and refractive index, enable both the achievement of the desired optical properties of silicon oxynitride layers and the production of thin films with gradient refractive index for technology applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:18:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6dd877d250b44d7aac7b693eaed22bb8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:18:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-6dd877d250b44d7aac7b693eaed22bb82023-11-23T17:31:28ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442022-09-011518631310.3390/ma15186313Investigation of the RF Sputtering Process and the Properties of Deposited Silicon Oxynitride Layers under Varying Reactive Gas ConditionsNikolett Hegedüs0Csaba Balázsi1Tamás Kolonits2Dániel Olasz3György Sáfrán4Miklós Serényi5Katalin Balázsi6Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós str. 29–33, 1121 Budapest, HungaryInstitute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós str. 29–33, 1121 Budapest, HungaryInstitute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós str. 29–33, 1121 Budapest, HungaryInstitute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós str. 29–33, 1121 Budapest, HungaryInstitute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós str. 29–33, 1121 Budapest, HungaryInstitute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós str. 29–33, 1121 Budapest, HungaryInstitute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege Miklós str. 29–33, 1121 Budapest, HungaryIn a single process run, an amorphous silicon oxynitride layer was grown, which includes the entire transition from oxide to nitride. The variation of the optical properties and the thickness of the layer was characterized by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE) measurements, while the elemental composition was investigated by Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). It was revealed that the refractive index of the layer at 632.8 nm is tunable in the 1.48–1.89 range by varying the oxygen partial pressure in the chamber. From the data of the composition of the layer, the typical physical parameters of the process were determined by applying the Berg model valid for reactive sputtering. In our modelling, a new approach was introduced, where the metallic Si target sputtered with a uniform nitrogen and variable oxygen gas flow was considered as an oxygen gas-sputtered SiN target. The layer growth method used in the present work and the revealed correlations between sputtering parameters, layer composition and refractive index, enable both the achievement of the desired optical properties of silicon oxynitride layers and the production of thin films with gradient refractive index for technology applications.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/18/6313silicon oxynitridespectroscopic ellipsometryBerg modelling |
| spellingShingle | Nikolett Hegedüs Csaba Balázsi Tamás Kolonits Dániel Olasz György Sáfrán Miklós Serényi Katalin Balázsi Investigation of the RF Sputtering Process and the Properties of Deposited Silicon Oxynitride Layers under Varying Reactive Gas Conditions Materials silicon oxynitride spectroscopic ellipsometry Berg modelling |
| title | Investigation of the RF Sputtering Process and the Properties of Deposited Silicon Oxynitride Layers under Varying Reactive Gas Conditions |
| title_full | Investigation of the RF Sputtering Process and the Properties of Deposited Silicon Oxynitride Layers under Varying Reactive Gas Conditions |
| title_fullStr | Investigation of the RF Sputtering Process and the Properties of Deposited Silicon Oxynitride Layers under Varying Reactive Gas Conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigation of the RF Sputtering Process and the Properties of Deposited Silicon Oxynitride Layers under Varying Reactive Gas Conditions |
| title_short | Investigation of the RF Sputtering Process and the Properties of Deposited Silicon Oxynitride Layers under Varying Reactive Gas Conditions |
| title_sort | investigation of the rf sputtering process and the properties of deposited silicon oxynitride layers under varying reactive gas conditions |
| topic | silicon oxynitride spectroscopic ellipsometry Berg modelling |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/18/6313 |
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