AbstractSilicon oxynitride (SiOxNy) films with low stress were deposited successfully at room temperature using sputtering-type electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasmas. Films were deposited for a wide range of flow rate ratio of O2 to N2 at a constant Ar flow rate. Film properties were verified by characterizations of refractive index (ellipsometry), structural properties (Fourier transform infrared and Auger electron spectroscopy), intrinsic stress, and barrier strength of water penetration (thermal desorption spectroscopy). A near-stoichiometric SiOxNy (x = 1.44 and y = 0.41) film with low stress could be formed at the optimum deposition condition, under which the SiOxNy film had a refractive index of 1.54. The results of thermal desorption spectroscopy measurements showed that the SiOx Ny film had a higher barrier against moisture penetration relative to deposited SiOx and SiNy films. The SiOxNy film was directly deposited on the organic EL device and the applicability was shown clearly. These results indicate that this SiOxNy film deposited using a sputtering-type ECR plasma has the potential to be utilized as a passivation layer of organic EL devices, which are required to be formed at low temperature.
