Your silicon nitride is going to be amorphous if you sputter it. I would
think that all silicon nitride forms are highly insulating.
I don't know if you can Evap silicon. You would have to make sure the
target was conducting. With a nitrogen atmosphere I would think you
would get silicon nitride. I don't know if it would be very
stoichometric.
If the Silicon Nitride was silicon rich it would be likely somewhat
conducting and not a good insulator. If it is nitride rich it would
probably be a very good insulator. You might have to make sure your
substrate is heated to insure individual atoms of silicon that reached
the substrate reacted with nitrogen.
Finally, I would be concerned whether an atom of silicon would react
with N2, a very stable and unreactive triple bonded molecule. The e-beam
would ionize some of the nitrogren in passage to the target and that
might supply reactive nitrogen species.
Ed
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Dave
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 11:10 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [mems-talk] Ebeam evaporation of Silicon Nitride
Hello,
I am looking to deposit an insulating, optically clear, layer for some
circuitry, and was wondering if I could Ebeam evaporate Silicon nitride?
Also, if I can, I saw something about alpha and beta forms, is there any
substantial difference when dealing with the insulating properties?
Thanks,
David Casale
Drexel University