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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.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the mechanical and physical properties of silicon nitride thin films have been characterized, particularly for their application in load-bearing MEMS applications, and Young's modulus, E, has been determined using conventional lateral resonators and by bulge testing of membranes.
Abstract: The mechanical and physical properties of silicon nitride thin films have been characterized, particularly for their application in load-bearing MEMS applications. Both stoichiometric (high-stress) and silicon-rich (low-stress) films deposited by LPCVD have been studied. Young's modulus, E, has been determined using conventional lateral resonators and by bulge testing of membranes, and tensile strength has been determined using a specially designed microtensile specimen. All microdevices have been fabricated using standard micromachining. We have also measured the thermal expansion coefficient of stoichiometric silicon nitride. Our best estimate of E is 325/spl plusmn/30 GPa for stoichiometric and 295/spl plusmn/30 GPa for silicon-rich silicon nitride. The average tensile strength for the stoichiometric material is 6.4/spl plusmn/0.6 GPa, while that for the silicon-rich material is 5.5/spl plusmn/0.8 GPa; the burst strength of membranes of the stoichiometric material is 7.1/spl plusmn/0.2 GPa.

85 citations

Patent
19 Dec 1997
TL;DR: In this article, a random access memory array is constructed with a self-aligned high-aspect-ratio digit line contact having a tungsten plug which extends from the substrate to a metal interconnect structure located at a level above the stacked capacitor.
Abstract: This invention is a process for manufacturing a random access memory array. Each memory cell within the array which results from the process incorporates a stacked capacitor, a silicon nitride coated access transistor gate electrode, and a self-aligned high-aspect-ratio digit line contact having a tungsten plug which extends from the substrate to a metal interconnect structure located at a level above the stacked capacitor. The contact opening is lined with titanium metal which is in contact with the substrate, and with titanium nitride that is in contact with the plug. Both the titanium metal and the titanium nitride are deposited via chemical vapor deposition reactions.

85 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, thermal diffusivity data transverse to the fiber direction for composites composed of a reaction bonded silicon nitride matrix reinforced with uniaxially aligned carbon-coated silicon carbide fibers indicate the existence of a significant thermal barrier at the matrix-fiber interface.
Abstract: Experimental thermal diffusivity data transverse to the fiber direction for composites composed of a reaction bonded silicon nitride matrix reinforced with uniaxially aligned carbon-coated silicon carbide fibers indicate the existence of a significant thermal barrier at the matrix-fiber interface. Calculations of the interfacial thermal conductances indicate that at 300 C and 1-atm N2, more than 90 percent of the heat conduction across the interface occurs by gaseous conduction. Good agreement is obtained between thermal conductance values for the oxidized composite at 1 atm calculated from the thermal conductivity of the N2 gas and those inferred from the data for the effective composite thermal conductivity.

85 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a study of the creep and creep rupture behavior of hot-pressed silicon nitride reinforced with 30 vol% SiC whiskers was presented. But, the authors did not consider the effect of whisker additions on the creep rate.
Abstract: This paper presents a study of the creep and creep rupture behaviour of hot-pressed silicon nitride reinforced with 30 vol% SiC whiskers. The material was tested in both tension and compression at temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1250°C for periods as long as 1000 h. A comparison was made between the creep behaviour of whisker-reinforced and whisker-free silicon nitride. Principal findings were: (i) transient creep due to devitrification of the intergranular phase dominates high-temperature creep behaviour; (ii) at high temperatures and stresses, cavitation at the whisker-silicon nitride interface enhances the creep rate and reduces the lifetime of the silicon nitride composite; (iii) resistance to creep deformation is greater in compression than in tension; (iv) the time to rupture is a power function of the creep rate, so that the temperature and stress dependence of the failure time is determined solely by the temperature and stress dependence of the creep rate; (v) as a consequence of differences in grain morphology and glass composition between whisker-free and whisker-reinforced material, little effect of whisker additions on the creep rate was observed.

84 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Yukio Iijima1, Yoshio Ishikawa1, Chan–lon Yang1, Mei Chang1, Haruo Okano1 
TL;DR: An inductively coupled plasma chemistry including hydrofluorocarbon gas (CHF3, CH2F2 or CH3F) in addition to C4F8 and Ar was developed for the self aligned contact process of LSI as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: An inductively coupled plasma chemistry including hydro-fluorocarbon gas ( CHF3, CH2F2 or CH3F) in addition to C4F8 and Ar was developed for the self aligned contact process of LSI. The additional gases effectively reduces the etch rate of the nitride stopper in the contact hole resulting an increased selective ratio. The effect becomes more marked with higher H numbers. The optical emission signals of both F radical and carbon, including radicals such as C2, CF and CF2, were decreased by the addition of CH3F. The improved selectivity is considered to be due to the increased concentration of radicals with C–H bonding. The effect of C–H including radicals was explained by the enthalpy of reaction with oxygen and nitrogen atoms to form CO or CN bonding, and an improved step coverage of the polymerized film protecting the nitride surface.

84 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
2023245
2022529
2021421
2020686
2019994
2018911