Low-k dielectrics on base of silicon carbon nitride films

Thin silicon carbonitride films were synthesized by PECVD using siliconorganic compound as single-source precursor within a temperature range of 373–623 K. IR and Raman spectroscopy, AES, XPS, ellipsometry, XRD using the synchrotron radiation, EDS, SEM, AFM, measurements of electrophysical, mechanical characteristics and optical properties were applied to study their physicochemical and functional properties. It was shown that low temperature films are low-k dielectrics with the following characteristics: a dielectric constant of 3.0–7.0, specific resistance, ρ = 1013–1016 Om × cm, Edielectric breakdown ∼ 1 MV/cm, surface state density Nss ∼ 2.4·1011 cm− 2·eV− 1 and fixed charge density of about 1.6 × 1011 cm− 2. The bandgap of the films changes from 5.35 up to ∼ 3.30 eV. Obtained films are very flat and smooth, root mean square roughness Rms equals to ∼ 0.5–1.0 nm. Microhardness of these films changes from 1.9 up to 2.4 GPa, and Youngʹs modulus changes from 12.2 up to 15.9 GPa.