Trap assisted leakage current conduction in thin silicon oxynitride films grown by rapid thermal oxidation combined microwave excited plasma nitridation

Rohana Perera, Akihiro Ikeda, Reiji Hattori, Yukinori Kuroki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

70 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Thin films of silicon oxynitride (SiON) were grown on Si substrates by nitriding rapid thermally grown SiO2 layers in a microwave-excited nitrogen plasma and by subsequent re-oxidation. The enhanced leakage current in SiON at oxide fields 5-7 MV/cm is due to a trap assisted tunneling current. Trap assisted tunneling current analysis indicated a trap level of 1 eV below the conduction band edge, which is shallower than ∼ 2.5 eV level reported for nitrogen related traps in thermally nitrided SiO2. This shallower trap level suggests that its origin could be oxygen vacancies in the rapid thermal oxide, generated in the plasma nitridation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)357-370
Number of pages14
JournalMicroelectronic Engineering
Volume65
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2003

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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