title: Mechanisms of Low-Temperature Nitridation Technology on a TaN Thin Film Resistor for Temperature Sensor Applications.
abstract: In this letter, we propose a novel low-temperature nitridation technology on a tantalum nitride (TaN) thin film resistor (TFR) through supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) treatment for temperature sensor applications. We also found that the sensitivity of temperature of the TaN TFR was improved about 10.2 %, which can be demonstrated from measurement of temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR). In order to understand the mechanism of SCCO2 nitridation on the TaN TFR, the carrier conduction mechanism of the device was analyzed through current fitting. The current conduction mechanism of the TaN TFR changes from hopping to a Schottky emission after the low-temperature SCCO2 nitridation treatment. A model of vacancy passivation in TaN grains with nitrogen and by SCCO2 nitridation treatment is eventually proposed to increase the isolation ability in TaN TFR, which causes the transfer of current conduction mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Huey-Ru
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. ycc@mail.ee.nsysu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Ying-Chung
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. tcchang3708@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ting-Chang
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuan-Chang
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsung-Ming
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tian-Jian
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.affiliation: R&D Department, Walsin Technology Co, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Nai-Chuan
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: R&D Department, Walsin Technology Co, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kao-Yuan
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: SCCO2; TaN; Temperature coefficient of resistance; Thin film resistor