Abstract

There is currently strong interest in understanding the surface chemistry and thin film growth mechanisms of technologically important semiconductors. One intriguing finding of many studies in this area is that unusually high temperatures are required for sustained surface reactivity and thin film growth. Thus, for example, silicon nitride film growth using the reaction of Si with NH₃ is carried out at temperatures of 1000-1300K. The high process temperatures are often undesirable because they can also enhance the rates of unwanted processes such as dopant diffusion. For these reasons non-thermal means of reaction are actively being sought. Essential for the success of such efforts is to understand the mechanism of the reaction, particularly the nature of the rate-limiting step.

© 1987 Optical Society of America