title: Properties of silicon nanoparticles embedded in SiNx deposited by microwave-PECVD.
abstract: In this work, silicon-rich silicon nitride (SRN) layers were deposited on a silicon wafer by microwave-assisted plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MW-PECVD) using NH(3) and SiH(4) as precursor gases. The Si excess in the as-deposited layers as determined by the Rutherford backscattering technique was controlled by varying the precursor gas ratio. We were able to produce silicon nanoparticles (Si-nps) in the silicon nitride (SiN(x)) layers upon thermal annealing at high temperature. Energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM), complemented by photoluminescence measurements, were used to identify the experimental parameters in order to reach a high density of well-separated Si-nps (3 nm). Our results show that the MW-PECVD method is a suitable deposition tool for the formation of Si-nps in thin SRN layers.
authors.affiliation: InESS-UDS/CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 20 CR, F-67037 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Delachat
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrada
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferblantier
authors.forename: J-J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Grob
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slaoui
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000737:chemistry; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D017655:Silicon Compounds; D000641:Ammonia; C032734:silicon nitride; D012825:Silicon