Excimer laser-induced deposition of silicon nitride thin films

Silicon nitride films have been prepared by excimer laser photolysis of ammonia/silane or ammonia/disilane mixtures at temperatures in the range 225-625°C in a hot-walled low-pressure reactor. The highest-quality films, deposited at 225°C, have high breakdown-field strength, Ebd=8.8 Mv cm-1, low midgap interface-state-trap densities, N it=1.7×1011 eV-1 cm-2, and a dielectric constant of ε=4.8.