Microfabrication, separations, and detection by mass spectrometry on ultrathin-layer chromatography plates prepared via the low-pressure chemical vapor deposition of silicon nitride onto carbon nanotube templates

ABSTRACTA contamination control study of a Silicon Valley Group Thermco Systems Vertical Thermal Reactor(VTR) is presented. Trace elements of contaminants such as water vapor and oxygen have been shown to significantly affect the integrity of the silicon nitride film deposited by the low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) process. This study documented the effects of process parameters on gaseous contamination levels, i.e., O2 and H2O vapor. Starting with a baseline process, the effects of an excursion of pre-deposition temperature ramp-up and stabilization condition, wafer load/unload and various post deposition conditions were explored. An axial profile of moisture and oxygen levels along the wafer load was obtained using Linde's Low Pressure Reactor Analysis(LPRAS) methodology. In addition, other process parameters such as gas flow rates during load and unload of wafers, pre-deposition N2 purge and process tube exposure time to ambient environment were- investigated. The wafers were analyzed for contaminants on the wafer surface or in the deposited silicon nitride film using FTIR and Auger spectroscopy techniques. They showed low levels of Si-O and no measurable Si-H or N-H bonds.

Download Full-text

Silicon nitride films deposited from SiH2Cl2NH3 by low pressure chemical vapor deposition: kinetics, thermodynamics, composition and structure

Thin Solid Films ◽

10.1016/0040-6090(92)90281-f ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 213 (2) ◽

pp. 182-191 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

S.-L. Zhang ◽

J.-T. Wang ◽

W. Kaplan ◽

M. Östling

Keyword(s):

Chemical Vapor Deposition ◽

Silicon Nitride ◽

Vapor Deposition ◽

Chemical Vapor ◽

Low Pressure ◽

Deposition Kinetics ◽

Silicon Nitride Films ◽

Composition And Structure ◽

Pressure Chemical

Download Full-text

Low pressure chemical vapor deposition of silicon nitride using the environmentally friendly tris(dimethylamino)silane precursor

Journal of Materials Research ◽

10.1557/jmr.1996.0184 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1483-1488 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

R. A. Levy ◽

X. Lin ◽

J. M. Grow ◽

H. J. Boeglin ◽

R. Shalvoy

Keyword(s):

Chemical Vapor Deposition ◽

Silicon Nitride ◽

Vapor Deposition ◽

Chemical Vapor ◽

Low Pressure ◽

Environmentally Benign ◽

Silicon Nitride Films ◽

Pressure Chemical ◽

Phase Nucleation ◽

Silane Precursor

This study investigates the use of the environmentally benign precursor tri(dimethylamino)silane (TDMAS) with NH3 to synthesize silicon nitride films by low pressure chemical vapor deposition. The growth kinetics are investigated as a function of deposition temperature, total pressure, and NH3/TDMAS flow ratios. The deposits are found to be essentially stoichiometric and to contain ∼5 at. % carbon when appropriate NH3 concentrations are present. The films are found in all cases to be amorphous and highly tensile. For optimized processing conditions, values of the refractive index are close to those reported for Si3N4. The film density is observed to increase with higher deposition temperatures up to 800 °C and then decrease due to the onset of gas phase nucleation effects. This behavior is readily reflected in the etch rate of those films. FTIR spectra reveal the presence of hydrogen even at high deposition temperatures (900 °C). Hardness and Young's modulus of the films are seen to increase with higher deposition temperatures, reaching saturation values near 20 and 185 GPa, respectively, above 800 °C.

Download Full-text