دانلود رایگان ترجمه مقاله عدم برگشت پذیری حرارتی در قابلیت هدایت ورقه های ژرمانیوم نیترید و اکسی نیترید (نشریه الزویر 2018)

عدم برگشت پذیری حرارتی در قابلیت هدایت ورقه های ژرمانیوم نیترید و اکسی نیترید

Thermally induced irreversibility in the conductivity of germanium nitride and oxynitride films

Abstract

We report the evidence for irreversible changes in the conductivity, σ T( ), of a-Ge3Nx (3.7 4. < <x 6) and quasistoichiometric a-Ge2OyNx thin films occurring at T ≳ 630 K, under high vacuum conditions. We have found that σ T( ) curves not only depend on the material properties but also on the thermal history undertaken by films. The irreversibility in σ T( ), during heating in vacuum, is correlated to the transformation of the native GeO2 into volatile GeO. Thermal annealing in N2 atmosphere, on the contrary, results to extend film stability up to 973 K. At higher T, domes and pits are formed onto the film surface, due to the strong effusion of N-rich volatile species. Unstable N-Ge bonds can explain both the nitrogen thermodynamic instability and the Ge nano-crystallisation process occurring in a-Ge3Nx films, upon heating until 1023 K. Compared to a-Ge3Nx, quasi-stoichiometric aGe2OyNx is both more insulating and more stable upon heating up to 1023 K under N2 flow, that makes it a suitable passivating layer material for the fabrication of electronic devices.

5. Conclusions

The effects of thermal treatments on the physical properties of germanium nitride and oxynitride films have been investigated in detail. This study has evidenced that the conductivity of a-Ge3Nx (3.7 4. < <x 6) and of quasi-stoichiometric a-Ge2OyNx thin films exhibits an irreversible change at T ≳ 630 K detected during measurement in high vacuum. Above this temperature, σ (T) exhibits an hysteresis, with features depending on the film composition and the annealing conditions. Irreversibility in σ (T) has been explained as the reduction of native GeO2 into volatile GeO, considering that the latter occurs in vacuum at a temperature close to the threshold of irreversibility detected in our films.

Analysis of film properties, thermally annealed in N2, has revealed an improved stability up to 973 K, with formation of domes and pits on film surface at higher T originated by the effusion of volatile N-based molecules from the film matrix. Ge nano-crystallisation has been detected in a-Ge3Nx films, upon TT in N2 around 1023 K.

The knowledge gained by the study of the irreversible process occurring in the investigated class of materials has allowed to identify the material and the deposition/process conditions to get an optimal passivating layer for the fabrication of several devices such as HPGe detectors. The best candidate to cover this role has been found to be a quasi-stoichiometric a-Ge2OyNx film of ≃130 nm of thickness.

Finally, we have demonstrated that σ (T), at least in this class of materials, is capable to monitor temperature dependent changes in the physical properties of a thin film, occurring during the measurement. This feature is generally prevented to other investigation techniques, either for practical reasons or for their intrinsic limits. In this respect, σ (T) results a powerful and straightforward tool to characterise the behaviour of dielectric layers.