The study of the supersaturated silicon layer of silicon nitride with the help of secondary-ion mass-spectrometry

About the authors:

Dmitry V. Zhuravsky, Head of the Laboratory of Beam-Plasma Technology in REC “Nanotechnology , Tyumen State University
Gennady P. Laskin, Head of the Laboratory of Electron and Probe Microscopy in REC “Nanotechnology”, Tyumen State University
Kirill V. Misyuk, Research Assistant of Beam-Plasma Technology Laboratory in REC “Nanotechnology”, Tyumen State University
Sergey Yu. Udovichenko, Dr. Sci. (Phys.-Math.), Professor, Department of Applied and Tech­nical Physics, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tyumen, Tyumen, Russia; Scientific Director of the Memristive Materials Laboratory, Center for Nature-Inspired Engineering, University of Tyumen, Tyumen, Russia; udotgu@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3583-7081

Abstract:

For the development of an effective silicon-based light source the 30-100 nm thickness layers of silicon nitride with a controlled composition and a low electrical resistivity have been obtained by the method of magnetron deposition. We have found the conditions of magnetron discharge burning under which the samples of nitride films of SiN1.33stoichiometric composition, SiN samples with 7-10% silicon supersaturation and SiN1.2 samples with 2-3% silicon supersaturation have been produced. The method of magnetron deposition of the silicon nitride layers was chosen because it provides a more homogeneous distribution of elements over a layer thickness in comparison with the alternative method of chemical precipitation from the gas phase. The control over the composition of the silicon nitride layers was carried out by measuring the characteristics of magnetron discharge. It is shown that the required degree of silicon supersaturation in the layer can be controlled by the voltage discharge at a constant nitrogen pressure. The employed method of control is more accurate than the method of spectral analysis of an optical radiation of magnetron discharge plasma. The second control method provides insufficient measuring accuracy due to the low intensity of nitrogen and silicon lines in the operating range of nitrogen pressure.

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