Characterization of Silicon Nitride Thin Films on Glass

Abstract

The influence of process parameters on amorphous reactively sputtered silicon nitride thin films is reported in this study. The films were prepared with various argon and nitrogen flows, and sputter power in in-line horizontal coater by DC magnetron reactive sputtering from Si (10% Al) target. Refractive index and mechanical properties like residual stress, hardness and elastic modulus were studied. We show that process pressure has an important influence on mechanical properties of the sputtered film. On the other hand, the nitrogen content is the key factor for the optical properties of the films.