High quality fluorinated silicon oxide films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at 120 degrees C

Electrical characteristics of the fluorinated silicon oxide films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at 120 degrees C using Si2H6 as silicon precursor and CF4 as fluorine precursor were studied. The addition of fluorine into Si-O network results in a decrease in the effective oxide charges as law as 1/6 of the value for the fluorine-free silicon oxide films. It also improves the film breakdown property by significantly reducing early failures, resulting in the measured average dielectric breakdown field strength of 8.91 MV/cm. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.