Silicon nitride

About: Silicon nitride is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 32678 publications have been published within this topic receiving 413599 citations. The topic is also known as: N₄Si₃.

Thermal conductivity of germanium, silicon, and carbon nitrides

Abstract: We present a model calculation of the thermal conductivity of germanium nitride, silicon nitride, and carbon nitride in a temperature range in which intrinsic phonon scattering is dominant. We show that, in spite of the rather complex crystal structure of these nitrides, thermal conductivities exceeding 100 W m−1 K−1 can be attained in some of these compounds due to the combination of high Debye temperature and small Gruneisen constant.

ZnO nanowires grown on SOI CMOS substrate for ethanol sensing

Abstract: This paper reports on the integration of zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO NWs) with a silicon on insulator (SOI) CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) micro-hotplate for use as an alcohol sensor. The micro-hotplates consist of a silicon resistive micro-heater embedded within a membrane (composed of silicon oxide and silicon nitride, supported on a silicon substrate) and gold bump bonded aluminum electrodes that are used to make an ohmic contact with the sensing material. ZnO NWs were grown by a simple, low-cost hydrothermal method and characterised using SEM, XRD and photoluminiscence methods. The chemical sensitivity of the on-chip NWs to ethanol vapour (at different humidity levels) was characterised at two different temperatures namely, 300 °C and 400 °C (power consumption was 24 mW and 33 mW, respectively), and the sensitivity was found to be 0.1%/ppm (response 4.7 at 4363 ppm). These results show that ZnO NWs are a promising material for use as a CMOS ethanol gas sensor that offers low cost, low power consumption and integrated circuitry.

Nitrogen in germanium

Abstract: The known properties of nitrogen as an impurity in, and as an alloy element of, the germanium network are reviewed in this article. Amorphous and crystalline germanium–nitrogen alloys are interesting materials with potential applications for protective coatings and window layers for solar conversion devices. They may also act as effective diffusion masks for III-V electronic devices. The existing data are compared with similar properties of other group IV nitrides, in particular with silicon nitride. To a certain extent, the general picture mirrors the one found in Si–N systems, as expected from the similar valence structure of both elemental semiconductors. However, important differences appear in the deposition methods and alloy composition, the optical properties of as grown films, and the electrical behavior of nitrogen-doped amorphous layers. Structural studies are reviewed, including band structure calculations and the energies of nitrogen-related defects, which are compared with experimental data. ...

Hexakis (monohydrocarbylamino) disilanes and method for the preparation thereof

Abstract: (Problems) - To provide silane compounds that are free of chlorine, that provide excellent film-forming characteristics at low temperatures in the case of silicon nitride films and silicon oxynitride films, and that also have excellent handling characteristics. Also, to provide a method for preparing these silane compounds. (Solution) - Hexakis (monohydrocarbylamino) dislanes with general formula (I) ((R) HN)3 - Si - Si - (NH (R))3 (I) wherein each R independently represents C1 to C4 hydrocarbyl. These disilanes can be synthesized by reacting hexachlorodisilane in organic solvent with at least 6-fold moles of the monohydrocarbylamine RNH2 (wherein R is C1 to C4 hydrocarbyl).

Target poisoning during reactive magnetron sputtering: Part I: the influence of ion implantation

Abstract: Gettering plays a minor role during reactive sputtering of silicon in a nitrogen/argon mixture. However, an abrupt increase of the target voltage as a function of the nitrogen mole fraction is noticed which is not expected from the classical models explaining reactive magnetron sputtering. To explain the target voltage behaviour during DC magnetron sputtering of silicon in an argon/nitrogen mixture, a model is proposed which is based on the reactive ion implantation into the subsurface region of the silicon target. The model calculates the concentration of the nitrogen ions implanted into the target and assumes three possible pathways for these implanted ions. A first pathway is the chemical reaction between the implanted nitrogen ions and the target material to form silicon nitride. The implanted nitrogen can also remain in the target as non-reacted nitrogen atoms. Or, the nitrogen atoms can recombine in the target and diffuse from the target. The compound formation results in a decrease of the target surface recession speed or target erosion rate. As the surface concentration of the implanted ions is inversely proportional to the surface recession speed, an avalanche situation becomes possible. This abrupt transition in recession speed is accompanied with a sudden increase of the concentration of non-reacted nitrogen atoms in the target. In this way, the abrupt target voltage change, noticed at a given mole fraction of nitrogen in the plasma, can be understood.