Defect states in amorphous SiNx:H compounds using thermally stimulated exo-electron emission

Publication date: Available online 4 October 2016
Source:Thin Solid Films
Author(s): Sung Heo, Hyoungsun Park, JaeGwan chung, Hyung Ik Lee, Jucheol Park, Koo Kyoung Yong, Su Kim Yong, KiHong Kim, SunJung Byun, Woo Sung Jeon, Gyeong Su Park, Pyungho Choi, Byoung-Deog Choi, Dongwha Lee, Hoon Young Cho, Hee Jae Kang
Defect states of hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiNx:H) thin films were measured using the thermally stimulated exoelectron emission spectroscopic method. The defect states of films with nitrogen to silicon composition ratios (x) of 0.92, 1.21, and 1.44 were found to be located 1.66, 1.77, and 1.82eV below the conduction band minimum, respectively. We confirmed that the hydrogen concentration decreased as x was increased via an elastic recoil detection analysis experiment, while as the hydrogen concentration increased, the defect concentration decreased. From these results, we concluded that the defect centers could be related to dangling bonds, the so-called K centers, in silicon nitride. Furthermore, as the concentration of SiH was increased with decreasing x via the infrared spectroscopy, the defect density was reduced through the defect passivation.