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Quantifying Hydrogen Content in Silicon Nitride Dielectric Films On Silicon Wafers

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20 views6 pages

Quantifying Hydrogen Content in Silicon Nitride Dielectric Films On Silicon Wafers

Uploaded by

Sab-Win Damad
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Quantifying Hydrogen Content in Silicon Nitride Dielectric Films on Silicon Wafers

Quantifying Hydrogen Content in Silicon


Nitride Dielectric Films on Silicon Wafers
Sponsored by PerkinElmer Aug 23 2023
Reviewed by Olivia Frost

Silicon wafers are processed by adding dielectric films, which are primarily utilized
to isolate circuits and offer mechanical and chemical protection to the device. These
films also serve as masking materials during wafer fabrication.

Various film substrates are available, but borophosphosilicate glass and silicon nitride
(Si3N4) are two of the most common examples. Silicon nitride thin films hold considerable
scientific interest across multiple application fields.1

In addition to the properties required for electronics manufacturing, they also provide
excellent optical, mechanical, and thermal properties, meaning that they can be used in
solar cell applications where they serve as antireflection and passivating coatings.1

Image Credit: ShutterStock/Dave Weaver

The films are created using various deposition techniques, each of which influences the
quality of the silicon nitride. The process can introduce hydrogen into the film through the

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Quantifying Hydrogen Content in Silicon Nitride Dielectric Films on Silicon Wafers

silane and ammonia reactants. A high hydrogen content can impact film properties and
performance. Furthermore, the optical properties of the nitride film rely on the ammonia-to-
silane ratio.

FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy is widely employed in the electronics and
solar industries to determine material chemical properties. This article outlines the FTIR
method used to measure and compute the -NH and -SiH content in Si3N4 films.

Experimental
FTIR measurements can be conducted on silicon wafers to serve various applications,
allowing for measurements in either transmission or reflectance modes.

The analysis is performed through transmission when examining silicon nitride films on
silicon wafers. The wafers are positioned within the MappIR system within the PerkinElmer
Spectrum 3™ FTIR spectrometer, as depicted in Figure 1.

The measurement setup consists of a PerkinElmer Spectrum 3 FTIR spectrometer coupled


with a Pike MappIR (or Mapp300) wafer holder and optical system, complete with
automation software. This system can examine wafer sizes ranging from 2 to 8 inches
(MappIR) or 12 inches (Mapp300) in transmission and reflection modes.

Through automation software, seamless and unattended wafer mapping is achievable,


allowing for data collection from across the entire wafer based on predetermined or user-
defined mapping arrangements. Data collection is followed by calculations based on the
analysis method specified.

Spectra were collected in transmission mode for 8-inch diameter silicon wafers coated with
a silicon nitride film at a spectral resolution of 4 cm-1. The data collection process took place
over a period of four scans.

Figure 2 shows the spectra of an uncoated wafer and a wafer coated with a thin Si3N4
dielectric film layer. Evident disparities exist between these two spectra, highlighting distinct
spectral bands attributed to the presence of Si-H and N-H at 2170 cm-1 and 3350 cm-1,
respectively, as shown in Figure 3.

The calculation methodology employed in this article is based on the Lanford and Rand
method.2 Peak areas are computed by incorporating suitable baseline regions to
compensate for spectroscopic baseline effects effectively.

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Quantifying Hydrogen Content in Silicon Nitride Dielectric Films on Silicon Wafers

Figure 1. The Spectrum 3 FTIR MappIR System. Image Credit: PerkinElmer

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Quantifying Hydrogen Content in Silicon Nitride Dielectric Films on Silicon Wafers

Figure 2. Spectra of Uncoated Silicon Wafer (blue) and Wafer with Si3N4 film (red). Image
Credit: PerkinElmer

Figure 3. Spectral ranges used for the Si-H and N-H concentration calculations. Image
Credit: PerkinElmer

Calculations
Calculation methods from the paper “The hydrogen content of plasma-deposited silicon
nitride,” by Lanford and Rand are outlined below.2

Number of Si-H bonds/cm3 = K1 x (peak area of Si-H)/thickness

Number of N-H bonds/cm3 = K2 x (peak area of N-H)/thickness

Where K1=1.36 x 1017 and K2=1.904 x 1017

K1 and K2 Values from literature.2 K2/K1=1.4 and accounts for relative absorption
coefficients of Si-H and N-H

Si-H % = (Si-H atom)/ [(film density x 3.035 x 1022) + (Si-H atom) + (N-H atom)]

N-H % = (N-H atom)/ [(film density x 3.035 x 1022) + (Si-H atom) + (N-H atom)]

Film Thickness 8500A

Si-H bonds/cm3 = K1 x (peak area of Si-H)/thickness = 1.5744 x 1022 bonds/cm3

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Quantifying Hydrogen Content in Silicon Nitride Dielectric Films on Silicon Wafers

N-H bonds/cm3 = K2 x (peak area of N-H)/thickness = 0.4883 x 1022 bonds/cm3


Si-H% = (Si-H atom)/ [(film density x 3.035 x 1022) +(Si-H atom) + (N-H atom)]
=1.5744 x 1022/ [(2 x 3.035 x 1022) + 1.5744 x 1022 + 0.4883 x 1022] = 19.36%
N-H% = (N-H atom)/ [(film density x 3.035 x 1022) +(Si-H atom) + (N-H atom)]
=0.4883 x 1022/ [(2 x 3.035 x 1022) + 1.5744 x 1022 + 0.4883 x 1022] = 6.00%

Conclusion
Using the MappIR system, FTIR spectroscopy has proven to be a rapid and straightforward
approach for determining the hydrogen content within silicon nitride films.

This technique can be applied in studies related to film deposition procedures, facilitating
the enhancement of film characteristics for optimal utilization in semiconductor or solar cell
applications.

References
1. Alain E. Kaloyeros et al 2020 ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol. 9 063006.
2. William A Lanford, M J Rand, Journal of Applied Physics, volume 49, 1978, pages
2473–2477.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by
PerkinElmer.

For more information on this source, please visit PerkinElmer.

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Quantifying Hydrogen Content in Silicon Nitride Dielectric Films on Silicon Wafers

PerkinElmer

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United States

Phone: 1 800 762-4000

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the world's most critical health and safety concerns, including maternal and fetal health,
clean water and air, and safe food and toys.

Their expertise combines science, innovation and a culture of operational excellence to


offer customers technology services and support that improve the quality of people's lives
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