High-speed deposition of silicon nitride thick films via halide laser chemical vapor deposition

Silicon nitride shows significant potential in the field of surface protection for electronic devices owing to its excellent insulation performance and mechanical properties. In this study, silicon nitride films were fabricated via halide laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD). The effects of deposition parameters on the crystallinity, microstructure, deposition rate (R-dep), Vickers microhardness, nano-hardness and electrical resistivity were investigated. The maximum R-dep of the silicon nitride thick films was 972 mu m/h at T-dep of 1573 K and Ptot of 10 kPa, which is the highest value compared with those obtained via conventional CVD. As T-dep increased, the Vickers microhardness and nano-hardness of the films increased to the highest value of 25.1 GPa and 34.8 GPa at 1573 K, respectively. The electrical resistivity of the films decreased with increasing T-dep and showed a maximum value of 1.49 x 10(14) Omega center dot cm at T-dep of 1273 K.