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Type: 
Journal
Description: 
We have used a methodology, based on electron energy loss spectroscopy combined with energy filtered images, which allows us to quantify the clustered silicon concentration in annealed sub-stoichiometric silicon oxide layers (SiOx). This information was coupled to the chemical silicon and oxygen concentrations determined from Rutherford backscattering analyses. The silicon agglomeration kinetics was investigated as a function of the gas flows used during the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process. Although the clustered Si concentration and the average cluster radius do not follow a well defined dependence on Si, O, or N concentration, separately, the ratio between the former parameter and the silicon excess concentration decreases monotonically as a function of the nitrogen concentration approaching a saturation value equal to 0.2 for nitrogen concentrations above 10 at.%.
Publisher: 
Elsevier
Publication date: 
1 Mar 2007
Authors: 

G Nicotra, C Bongiorno, L Caristia, S Coffa, C Spinella

Biblio References: 
Volume: 84 Issue: 3 Pages: 486-489
Origin: 
Microelectronic engineering