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Amorphous SiO2 (a-SiO2) layers were prepared using a thermal oxidation method. The SiO2 layers were nitrided at a temperature Tn between 450 and 650 °C utilizing a plasma generation system, in which the layers before the nitridation were simultaneously grown on two different n-type crystalline Si substrates, one having a high resistivity for electron-spin resonance (ESR) and Fourier transform infrared absorption measurements and another having a low resistivity for current–voltage (I–V) measurement. We found the breakdown strength, estimated based on the I–V characteristics, increased with increasing Tn until 550 °C, but the annealing at a further high Tn caused also a decrease in the breakdown strength. We found a strong correlation between the changes in the I–V characteristics and those in the bonding properties, and this correlation was also discussed in connection with the change in the ESR properties for the a-SiOxNy layers. Furthermore, incorporation of N atoms into SiO2 layers at Tn=550 °C was suggested to improve the structural properties and the electrical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous silicon oxynitride (a-SiN[sub x]O[sub y]) films were deposited at 300 °C using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique, which was carried out with variation in the nitrogen-flow-rate ratio (R[sub N]) and the oxygen-flow-rate ratio (R[sub O]) to control the nitrogen and oxygen contents, x and y, respectively. Changes in the structural properties and the characteristics of defects in the films were examined based on the electron spin resonance as well as infrared and optical absorption measurements. An increase in either R[sub N] or R[sub O] was found to decrease the deposition rate, the density of charged or neutral defects, and the randomness of the bonding network. Thus the incorporation of O or N atoms into Si nitride or Si oxide films, respectively, acts to improve the qualities of the insulating films. Furthermore, the nearest N and O atom neighboring to a Si site would be randomly bonded to the Si atom. Our results also showed that N-related dangling bonds, other than so-called K centers, are favorably created after annealing, but that the formation of Si-O bonds in the films makes the formation of such defects difficult. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study which investigated the electrical and structural properties for the fluorinated silicon oxide (SiO...:F):carbon films in comparison with those for the undoped SiO...:F films. Experimental procedure; Results and discussion.

Presents a study which examined the bonding properties of glow discharge polycrystalline and amorphous silicon carbide films. Correlation of the growth mechanism and the effects of hydrogen dilution with changes in bonding configuration; Experimental procedure; Results and discussion.

Provides information on a study examining the 200-nm-thick polycrystalline silicon films were deposited by changing the deposition temperature (Td = 150-750...C). Methodology used to conduct the study; Incorporation of O and N atoms depending on Td; Findings of the study.

Provides information on an experiment investigating the structure, optical absorption and photoluminescence (PL) properties of SiOx films subjected to thermal annealing at 750-1100...C. Methodology used to conduct the experiment; Information on Optical absorption; Results of the experiment.

Discusses a study which investigated the characteristics of defects in amorphous silicon nitride films subjected to ultraviolet illumination and anneal treatments. Background on the materials; Description of the experimental setup; Findings.

Investigates the structure of polycrystalline silicon (Si) films prepared from amorphus silicon deposited using disilane. Factor attributed to the increase in the transmission electron microscopy size; Effects of post-hydrogenation on the poly-Si films; Description of structural properties.

Studies the structure and grain boundary defects of glow-discharge polycrystalline silicon films deposited using disilane. Deposition of poly-silicon films using monosilane; Significance of polycrystalline silicon films as a material for thin-film transistors; Examination of the morphology by means of x-ray diffraction using a diffractometer.

Presents a study which investigated the stress in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitrogen[subx] films. Experimental details; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

Reports on the relationship between the stress and bonding properties of amorphous SiN[subx]:H films. Deposition of amorphous SiN[subx]:H films on single crystal silicon; Significance of amorphous SiN[subx]:H films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition; Densities of the SiH and NH bonds.

Presents a study that investigated the effects of the incorporation of phosphorus and nitrogen impurities on the electrical and structural properties of polysilicon carbide thin films. Methodology; Examination of the resistivity and spin density of the samples; Analysis of the crystallinity of the samples.

Presents a study that prepared undoped polycrystalline silicon films on a fused quartz substrate as a function of the radio frequency power and deposition temperature by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. Details of the experiment; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

Presents information on a study which discussed changes of the structural and electrical properties brought about by an in situ plasma supply during growth of undoped and boron doped low-pressure chemical vapor deposition poly-silicon film and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition films. Structural property; Effects of plasma supply on improvement of the surface roughness; Electrical property.

Presents information on a study which analyzed the effects brought about by the addition of nitrogen on the bonding properties as a function of the degree of crystallization for boron-doped microcrystalline into amorphous silicon nitride[subx]:hydrogen films. Investigation of the degree of crystallization by means of x-ray diffraction; Vibrational-absorption profiles; Electrical and optical properties.

Presents a study of the crystal structure and the bonding configurations of Si[sub1-x]C[subx] films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Description of cubic silicon carbide; X-ray diffraction pattern on the films; Classification of films according to the composition.

In this letter, polycrystalline 3C-SiC (111) films were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system at a temperature of 670 °C using a gas mixture of SiH4/CH4/H2/(CF4). The optical properties of deposited films with different feed gases and different structures were investigated. In these studies, a broad photoluminescence band was observed for films with lower crystallinity and the radiative transitions between the conduction and valance band tails were suggested as the origin of the observed peak. The band gap of these polycrystalline SiC films was estimated at around 2.10 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the vibrational absorption of silicon hydride in amorphous SiO[sub x]:H film based on the charge-transfer model. Examination of absorption profiles on the basis of random-bonding model; Use of Sanderson's electronegativity to study the length of hydride bonds; Details on the peak wave numbers for the four hydrogen-silicon bonding units.

Amorphous SiNx:H films were prepared by rf glow discharge (GD) of SiH4-N2-H2 mixtures at 300 °C using a new decomposition technique. The optical gap Eg increases slowly with the ratio N2/SiH4 up to a critical gap Egc of 2.5–3.0 eV, and then rapidly increases up to 5.3 eV. The spin density Ns from electron spin resonance of Si dangling bonds increases with N2/SiH4 until Eg reaches Egc. Above Egc, Ns rapidly decreases in contrast with that of conventional GD films, but in similarity to pyrolytic films. The slope B in Tauc equation for optical absorption corresponds well with Ns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcrystalline SiNx:H films were prepared by rf glow discharge of SiH4-B2H6-N2-H2 mixtures with the gas volume ratio of B2H6/SiH4=4.5×10-3. The volume fraction of the crystalline phase and the crystallite size decrease with an increase in N content x, and the films were amorphous at x above 0.2. The dark conductivity σd decreases and the optical gap Eg increases with x. The gap-state density is lowest at x near 0.2, where σd∼10-2–10-3/Ω cm (the activation energy is 0.1 eV) and Eg∼1.9 eV. These electrical properties are improved as compared with those for B-doped amorphous SiNx:H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the bonding configuration and defects in amorphous SiN[sub x]:H films. Maximum of the slope in the Urbach form of the absorption coefficient; Examination of the random-bonding model including hydrogen atoms.

Polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) films were prepared on a fused quartz substrate at 700 °C by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) and plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD) using the same fabrication system. Poly-Si films with a strong <100> and <110> preferential orientation (P.O.) are obtained by changing the rf power for generating the plasma under the same preparation condition. The surface of the PECVD films with dominant <100> and <110> textures is very smooth in contrast with that of LPCVD films. These textures are maintained after thermal oxidation at 1000 °C, and the degree of P.O. and the grain size increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the structure of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) films made by the annealing of amorphous silicon films deposited using disilane. Function of deposition temperature in the preparation of poly-Si thin films; Change in the texture of poly-Si films; Influence of amorphous Si films deposition change on texture and grain size.