DAMAGE AND RECOVERY BY ELECTRON AND ION-BEAM IRRADIATION DURING AES ANALYSIS OF SILICON OXYNITRIDES

Damage and recovery induced by electron and ion beam irradiation during AES analysis of silicon nitride and oxynitrides are discussed. The results show that after prolonged electron beam irradiation, a damage peak is induced in the Si LVV spectrum. The initial incubation time decreases for higher electron current densities and for higher O/N rations. The electron beam‐induced damage is irreversible. The silicon nitride and oxynitrides are very susceptible to damage by energetic ion impact. However, this damage is reversible: the surface can be recovered by irradiation with an electron beam in the ultra‐high vacuum system when the electron current density is kept low. The damage recovery is related to the irradiation time, the current density and the beam energy, as well as to the preparation method of the layers. The degree of damage and recovery are characterized by the fraction of ‘covalent’ silicon and silicon nitride obtained from factor analysis of the Si LVV spectrum. The mechanism of the damage and recovery will be discussed. Copyright © 1990 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.