DISTRIBUTION OF NITROGEN AND DEFECTS IN SIOXNY/SI STRUCTURES FORMED BY THE THERMAL NITRIDATION OF SIO2/SI

Previously reported nitrogen distributions in SiO//2 films on Si which have been thermally nitrided at 1000 degree C have been explained by a kinetic model of the nitridation process which rests upon the effects of interfacial strain. A critical test of this kinetic model is the validity of the predictions regarding nitrogen distributions obtained at other nitridation temperatures. In this work, nitrogen distributions determined via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are reported for samples nitrided at 800 and 1150 degree C, and are shown to be consistent with the kinetic model. In addition, the intensity of a fluorine marker is found to correlate with the nitrogen distribution, and is postulated to be related to kinetically generated defects in the dielectric film, consistent with the strain-dependent energy of formation of defects proposed recently to explain electrical data.