Specific Process Knowledge/Thin film deposition/Deposition of Silicon Nitride/Deposition of silicon nitride using Lesker sputter system
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The sputter-system(Lesker) can be use to deposit silicon nitride by reactive sputtering with a gas mixture of Ar and N2, where N2 is the reactive gas.
We have little experience with this so any information you obtain will be welcome.
Note that it is also possible to deposit SiN by reactive sputtering in the newer Sputter-System Metal-Nitride(PC3) which is a dedicated chamber for metal and nitride deposition where oxygen contamination of the film will be minimized. SiOxNy may be deposited in Sputter-System Metal-Oxide(PC1). These chambers also offer pulsed DC sputtering and HIPIMS (high-power impulse magnetron sputtering).
Recipes on Sputter-System(Lesker) for deposition of silicon nitride
Recipes
The recipe below has been tried in the system. It is possible to change many of the parameters.
| Recipe name | Target | Gun | Power [W] | Pressure [mTorr] | RF substrate Power [W] | Gas | Temperature | Deposition rate |
| source 3 DC with RF bias and nitrogen | Si | 3 | 90 | 4 | 10 | N2 ratio 45% (Ar:33 sccm + N2: 15 sccm) | RT | ~1.38 nm/min |
| source 1 DC and nitrogen | Si | 1 | 180 | 4 | No | N2 ratio 45% (Ar:33 sccm + N2: 15 sccm) | RT | ~4 nm/min |