Characterization of SiNx:H films deposited by rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition

Hydrogenated silicon nitride films were deposited with NH3, SiH4 and N2 gas mixture at 700 °C by rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) system. The NH3/N2 flow ratio and deposition pressure are found to influence the film properties. The stress of SiNx:H films deposited by RTCVD is tensile, which can reach ~ 1.5 GPa in our study. The stress of SiNx:H films is dependent on the deposition parameters, which can be associated with chemical configuration of the film. It is suggested that the presence of hydrogen atoms will relax the Si–N network, which results in the decrease of tensile stress of the SiNx:H film.