Selective Studies of Chemical Vapor-Deposited Aluminum Nitride-Silicon Nitride Mixture Films

Films of aluminum nitride and mixtures of aluminum nitride and silicon nitride have been chemically vapor deposited upon silicon and sapphire substrates within the temperature range of 600°-1100°C by the ammonolysis of gaseous aluminum trichloride and silane. Characterization of film properties included; film morphology as observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), optical properties, dissolution rate, residual stresses, electrical conduction, and charge-storage behavior, as a function of composition and deposition parameters. Some compositions appeared promising for programmable read only memory applications (MIOS-FET) based upon low write-erase voltages, good fatigue, and charge retention properties. © 1978, The Electrochemical Society, Inc. All rights reserved.