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X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis of HfSiON thin films
Author(s) -
Zhang Lulu,
Terauchi Shinya,
Azuma Yasushi,
Fujimoto Toshiyuki
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.2901
Subject(s) - x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , materials science , amorphous solid , thin film , annealing (glass) , transmission electron microscopy , analytical chemistry (journal) , nitride , diffusion barrier , crystallization , crystallography , layer (electronics) , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , metallurgy , chemistry , chromatography , engineering
HfSiON thin films with different thicknesses were prepared by the oxidation of sputter‐deposited hafnium nitride (HfN) thin films. Thereafter, the chemical structures were investigated using XPS before and after a rapid thermal anneal (RTA) at a high temperature of 1000 °C. The thinner film of HfN was fully oxidized and HfSiON was formed after oxidation; Si atoms of HfSiON were obtained as a result of out‐diffusion from the substrate. However, a majority of HfN bonds in the thicker sample remained unoxidized after oxidation, and subsequent annealing at 1000 °C revealed bond breaking of HfN, N loss, and bond formation of HfO. This suggested that the incorporation of O into the film was the main channel for N loss during high‐temperature annealing. The high‐resolution cross‐sectional transmission electron microscopy (CS‐TEM) results indicated that the thinner film was amorphous and the thicker one, crystalline. The existence of HfSiON at the interface in the thinner sample before RTA was considered to suppress the crystallization. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.