Silicon Nitride Films

Silicon Nitride is a chemical compound (Si3N4, SiN) that offers excellent mechanical and thermal stability. It is commonly used for hard masks, as a dielectric material, or as a passivation layer. Silicon nitride, which is very hard by nature, has good thermal shock resistance and oxidation resistance. Please see the types of Nitrides SVM provides below.

LPCVD Silicon Nitride Film (SiN Film)

The higher temperature process results in a higher purity film that is very stable.

Applied to both sides of the wafer.

Offered in 4 types:

1. Stoichiometric LPCVD Nitride:

• Standard nitride film
• Very versatile film
• Excellent insulator
• Excellent hard mask
• Commonly used for MEMS

Stoichiometric Nitride Specifications:

• Thickness range: 100Å – 7500Å
• Refractive Index: 2.00 +/-.05
• Film stress: >800MPa Tensile Stress
• Wafer Size: 25mm – 300mm
• Temperature: 700°C – 800°C
• Sides processed: Both

2. Low Stress LPCVD Nitride:

Common Uses

• Hard mask
• Mechanical structures
• Cantilever beams
• Membranes
• MEMS applications

Low Stress Nitride Specifications

• Thickness range: 50Å – 2µm
• Thickness tolerance: +/-5%
• Within wafer uniformity: +/-5% or better
• Wafer to wafer uniformity: +/-5% or better
• Sides processed: both
• Refractive index: 2.20 +/-.02
• Film stress: <250MPa Tensile Stress
• Wafer size: 50mm-300mm
• Temperature: 820°C

3. Super Low Stress LPCVD Nitride:

• Can be deposited thicker than low stress nitride
• Slightly higher refractive index
• Same temperature as low stress nitride

Common Uses

• Hard mask
• Mechanical structures
• Cantilever beams
• Membranes
• MEMS applications

Super Low Stress Nitride Specifications:

• Thickness range: 50Å – 2µm
• Thickness tolerance: +/-5%
• Within wafer uniformity: +/-5% or better
• Wafer to wafer uniformity: +/-5% or better
• Sides processed: Both
• Refractive index: 2.30

4. Targeted Stress LPCVD Nitride:

• Can be customized to your film stress needs for tensile or compressive film
• Can be very thick up to 2µm
• Can be custom refractive index

Targeted Nitride Specifications:

• Thickness range: 50Å – 2µm
• Thickness tolerance: +/-5%
• Within wafer uniformity: +/-5% or better
• Wafer to wafer uniformity: +/-5% or better
• Sides processed: Both
• Refractive index: 2.05 – 2.35
• Film stress: Your target +/-50MPa Tensile Stress
• Wafer size: 50mm, 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, 200mm
• Wafer thickness: 100µm – 2,000µm
• Wafer material: Silicon, Silicon on Insulator, Quartz
• Temperature: 800°C – 820°C

PECVD Silicon Nitride Film (SiN Film)

• Lower temperature alternative process
• Applied to only one side of the wafer
• Good refractive index
• Low stress and standard processes available

PECVD Nitride Specifications:

• Thickness range: 100Å – 2µm
• Thickness tolerance: +/-7%
• Within wafer uniformity: +/-7% or better
• Wafer to wafer uniformity: +/-7% or better
• Sides processed: One
• Refractive index: 1.98+/-.05
• Film stress: <200MPa(Low Stress), +400MPa (Standard)
• Wafer size: 50mm – 300mm
• Temperature: 300°C – 400°C

ALD Silicon Nitride Film (SiN Film)

• Lower temperature alternative process
• Applied to only one side of the wafer.
• High quality very conformal film
• Atomic scale precision

ALD Nitride Specifications:

• Thickness range: 10Å – 350Å
• Thickness tolerance: +/-5% or better
• Within wafer uniformity: +/-5% or better
• Sides processed: One
• Wafer size: 200mm – 300mm
• Temperature: 450°C

PECVD Silicon Oxynitride (SiON)

• Fewer hydrogen impurities
• Improved stability
• Improved device reliability
• Excellent crack resistance
• Excellent for planarizing multilevel interconnects
• These properties mean silicon oxynitride works great as a final passivation layer, intermetal level dielectric and liner for trench isolation

Oxynitride Specifications:

• Thickness: 100Å – 2μm
• Refractive index:1.5 – 1.9
• Film stress: 250MPa
• Sides processed: One
• Temperature ~ 400°C
• Wafer diameter: 50mm – 300mm