First TEMs of AJA films

ByDave Fang

After much anticipation, we have confirmed that pores do form with the AJA deposition system!  Below are a series of images of membranes of two different thicknesses that were annealed at several temperatures in the RTP.

1000 C RTP; 40/9/40 stack

Amorphous; 40/9/40 stack

1000 C; 40/15/40 stack

800 C; 40/15/40 stack

Some immediate observations:

  • The pores are not as round as compared with CVC membranes
  • There are regions of variable pore density
  • Cutoffs lower for AJA membranes vs. CVC at identical RTP temps
  • Density of nanocrystals seems to scale with density of pores
  • There is no background texture
  • We are forming pores at 800 C (not the case with CVC films, purer film = lower crystallization temp?)

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6 Comments

  2. The 15 nm Si films have a moderate density of pinholes over the entire wafer surface.  The 9 nm Si films have almost no pinholes.  The second picture from the top is debris sitting on the amorphous 9 nm pnc-Si.
  4. The debris from the brushes is a carbon/silver composite.  The junk on that membrane looks more like a deposit left over from the EDP etch.  However, the debris was not very common.

  5. very good news and also interesting data. I am convinced that stress is a huge factor in everything we see. The “not round” pore shapes could results from two or more merging pores- how can we test this hypothesis?

  6. I think more will be learned when we start using the new URinc TEM.  This will allow us to see more detail in the material surrounding each pore.  The pore shape must be related to the nanocrystal geometries in the vicinity.

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