The Influence of Stresses on the Surface-Near Defect Structure

Abstract

ABSTRACTAn external stress field, induced at the film edge of a nitride layer, affects the defect generation in the surface-near region. Nucleation and growth of oxide precipitates and/or the generation of dislocations result in the reduction of the width of the denuded zone. The defect formation is discussed in dependence on the stress, gettering technique (annealing conditions), and on the initial oxygen concentration. The effect on electrical parameters is shown. The investigations prove that an additional oxide film (SiO2/Si3N4 films) does not relax completely the tensile stress induced by the nitride layer.