Silicon Precipitation Induced by Argon Excimer Laser in Surface Layers of Si3N4

Abstract
The effects of argon excimer laser irradiation on silicon nitride films deposited on GaAs substrates have been investigated. The precipitation of crystalline silicon induced by the irradiation is detected in the surface layer of silicon nitride with X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy. The silicon precipitation mechanism is basically a photochemical breaking of Si-N bonds. From the dependence of the silicon precipitation on the film thickness, it is shown that temperature above 1300°C is an additional factor necessary for precipitation.