LOW-PRESSURE PHOTODEPOSITION OF SILICON-NITRIDE FILMS USING A XENON EXCIMER LAMP

Excimer lamps have recently opened up the field of intense vacuum ultraviolet light generation. The power available from such lamps based on the dielectric barrier discharge generation method can be superior to those of typical low pressure mercury lamps. Additionally, a wide range of shorter and longer wavelengths can be generated as required. Following previous work on silicon dioxide deposition, here we present the use of these lamps for direct photodeposition of silicon nitride from mixtures of silane and ammonia. Optical and physical characterization reveal good film qualities, rendering this new technique promising for low temperature semiconductor and optoelectronic material processing.

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