Electron cyclotron resonance plasma assisted sputter deposition of boron nitride films

Abstract

Boron nitride films have been deposited on p-type silicon substrates by rf sputtering in the presence of an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma at a temperature of 450° C. Structural phases were identified using IR spectroscopy and electrical characterization was carried out in the metal-insulator-semiconductor configuration. It was shown that the presence of ECR plasma enhanced the formation of cubic phase at substrate temperature as low as 450° C, along with hexagonal phase. The dielectric constant was found to be 6-8 and the resistivity was about 10¹² Ωcm. The capacitance-voltage characteristics indicated good electronic interface with the presence of ECR plasma, with the density of states of about 1.18× 10¹² eV^-1cm^-2. The density of states was found to be higher by a factor of 2 in the absence of ECR plasma.