Thin CNx films prepared by vacuum rapid thermal annealing

The properties of thin CNx layers prepared by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) are compared with CNx layers obtained from N-2 plasma treatment. Carbon films of 6000 Angstrom thickness were deposited by magnetron sputtering system on p-type silicon substrates. The samples were treated in an RTA system in N-2 atmosphere at a temperature above 800 degrees C. Some of the samples were treated in an N-2 plasma. The resulting CNx layers were analyzed by XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) technique. The concentration of the incorporated nitrogen and carbon in the layer depths were analyzed by consecutive etching and measurement of the XPS spectra. This showed that maximum depth of incorporated nitrogen atoms in the carbon layer after 800 degrees C, 1 min RTA in N-2 was about 100 Angstrom, while in the N-2 plasma treated samples a nitrogen concentration of 6% was observed at 150 Angstrom. The electrical resistance of the layers rose with increase of the nitrogen concentration in the layers. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.