In situ characterization of thin film growth:: Boron nitride on silicon

Real-time ellipsometry (RTE) in combination with particle flux measurement is applied to ion beam assisted deposition of boron nitride (BN) films. RTE is used as a tool for process diagnostic to improve the deposition stability. A novel technique for the determination of absolute density depth profiles from dynamic growth rate data and film forming particle flux is employed. From real-time cantilever curvature measurement and simultaneously recorded film thickness data instantaneous stress depth profiles are derived with a depth resolution in the nm range. The synergistic effects on the information obtained from RTE, particle flux, and cantilever bending data are demonstrated. The density of turbostratic BN (tBN) is found to increase slightly with film thickness while the compressive stress decreases, indicating an increasing quality and/or size of crystallites in the course of film growth. Refractive index and density depth profiles in cubic BN (cBN) films correspond perfectly to structural information obtained from dark field transmission electron microscope graphs. The established tBN/cBN two-layer model is found to be a crude approximation that has to be replaced by a three-layer model including nucleation, grain growth, and coalescence of cBN. The instantaneous compressive stress in a homogeneous tBN film is found to decrease, while the density increases during growth. The instantaneous compressive stress depth profiles in cBN films are more complex and not easy to understand but reliable information on the structural evolution during growth can be extracted. (C) 2001 American Vacuum Society.