Silicon oxynitride films: Ion bombardment effects, depth profiles, and ionic polarization, studied with the aid of the Auger parameter

Thin films of Si3 N4, SiO2, and of silicon oxynitrides with compositions in the range 0.3≤O/N≤3.6 were deposited on silicon substrates to thicknesses between 20 and 150 nm by low‐pressure chemical vapor deposition. Auger parameters of the films were measured during the study of ion bombardment effects and depth profiling, and as a function of the O/N ratios.The particular parameter used was based on the Si 2s photoelectron, and bremsstrahlung‐excited Si KLL Auger lines. When normalized to constant ion dose, no significant differences in the effects of bombardment with argon ions in the energy range 0.5–4.0 keV could be found, and the equilibrium O/N ratio measured by x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy was close to that measured by Rutherford backscattering and elastic recoil detection analysis. During depth profiling no reduction of the oxynitride to elemental silicon was observed, in contrast to previous work using the low‐energy Si LVV Auger peak with electron excitation; it is therefore recommended that ...

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