在本論文的第一部分中，吾人利用低溫(450oC)電漿氮化矽基材，鍍製厚度低於25 Å的氮氧化矽(SiOxNy)薄膜，並且利用X光光電子能譜(XPS)分析SiOxNy薄膜的鍵結結構、氮含量與其深度的分佈。從XPS所得到的SiOxNy薄膜厚度與高解析穿透式電子顯微鏡所得到的厚度有良好的一致性，SiOxNy薄膜在一開始時成長速率較快，可是當厚度變厚時，速率會比較緩慢，吾人也發現大部分的氮原子會集中在SiOxNy/Si的界面上，從氮的1s鍵結能譜中顯示氮原子大部分與三個矽原子鍵結(N-Si3的鍵結組態)。當鍍膜時間增加時，SiOxNy薄膜中的氮與氧的1s鍵結會往高能量的地方移動，這是由於氧在SiOxNy薄膜的比例增加的緣故。混合N2O與NH3兩種氣體進行電漿氮化顯示SiOxNy薄膜內的氮含量隨著NH3/N2O的比例增加而增加，可是沉積速率降低。因此，藉由了解電漿氮化的特性，吾人可以控制SiOxNy薄膜的化學鍵結結構與氮含量，以及其厚度。
本論文的第一部分乃利用幾種薄膜測厚的工具來量測超薄SiOxNy薄膜與非晶質的五氧化二鉭(Ta2O5)薄膜沉積在矽基材上的厚度。多波長橢圓儀可以用來決定SiOxNy 與Ta2O5薄膜的折射率及厚度。吾人使用Bruggeman的有效介質(EMA)理論來決定混合介質的光學常數，並且用橢圓儀來量測應用此光學模型的薄膜厚度。此外，利用XPS作為互補的工具來鑑定薄膜的組成與厚度，吾人發現EMA模型可以用來解釋SiOxNy薄膜混合相(SiO2與Si3N4)的組成以及Ta2O5薄膜偏離計量比的程度。
而論文的第三部分研究低溫N2O與NH3電漿氮化矽基材與Ta2O5的熱穩定性。吾人使用電容–電壓(C-V)法來研究Ta2O5/Si系統的電性與缺陷特性，C-V的量測顯示Ta2O5沉積在非氮化矽基材表面含有較高密度的固定電荷(Qf)、捕獲缺陷(Nh)與界面態缺陷密度(Dit)，代表著在Ta2O5沉積時形成了一層缺陷較多的中介層。Ta2O5沉積在N2O與NH3電漿氮化矽基材兩種系統中都顯示降低的固定電荷與捕獲缺陷的數量，然而，NH3電漿氮化並不如N2O電漿氮化一樣能有效地降低界面態缺陷密度，這種在N2O與NH3電漿氮化矽基材中不同的電性與缺陷特性可以歸因於含氮量較多的SiOxNy薄膜的再氧化過程中所產生的缺陷。因此，有效的氮化程序應該與該氮化的中介層在Ta2O5沉積時的熱穩定性有關。
經過650oC與800oC的熱退火處理後，除了N2O電漿氮化矽基材增加量較少外，其餘的Nh 值皆有增加的趨勢，但是都能降低Dit值到~1012 cm-2eV-1的水平。同時，Ta2O5薄膜的再結晶與NH3電漿SiOxNy薄膜中的氮的減少可以在800oC的熱退火後觀察到。至於I-V的特性顯示，所有的初鍍膜皆有很大的漏電流現象，與是否經過電漿氮化前處理無關，後退火處理可以明顯地降低漏電流，而且退火過的Ta2O5薄膜沉積在N2O電漿氮化矽基材上顯示比其他系統在高電場下有較佳的I-V特性。

In Chapter 1, ultrathin silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy) less than 25 Å has been grown by low-temperature (at 450oC) N2O and NH3 plasma immersion on Si surface. The bonding structures and their distribution in depth, as well as the quantity of nitrogen in the SiOxNy layers are studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A good coincidence is established in SiOxNy thickness extracted from the attenuated Si 2p3/2 photoelectron signal and high-resolution transmission electron micrograph. The increase of SiOxNy thickness is fast at the initial growth and slows down as the oxynitride thickens. It is found that nitrogen atoms are concentrated at the SiOxNy/Si interface. The binding energy (BE) of N 1s core levels shows that N atoms are mostly bonded to three Si atoms (the N-Si3 state). Long-time growth of oxynitride will shift N and O 1s core levels to a higher BE due to increments of oxygen in the SiOxNy layer. Exploration of (N2O+NH3) plasma nitridation suggests that the nitrogen content increases with increasing NH3/N2O ratio, whereas the deposition rate of oxynitride decreases. With the understanding of plasma nitridation basics, control of chemical binding structure, nitrogen content, as well as thickness of the SiOxNy layer is therefore realized.
In Chapter 2, spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to determine the complex refractive index and the thickness of the SiOxNy and Ta2O5 layers. To determine the composition of the dielectric stack, the Bruggeman effective medium approximation (EMA) model was applied to each layer for fitting the ellipsometry data. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as a complementary method to verify the film composition and thickness, we have found that the EMA model explains the composition of the two mixed phases (SiO2 and Si3N4) in the SiOxNy layer, as well as the off-stoichiometry in the Ta2O5 layer.
Effects of various pre-nitridation and post-annealing processes on the structural and electrical characteristics of Ta2O5/Si systems are discussed in Chapter 3. Low-temperature N2O and NH3 plasma nitridations on the Si surface are conducted to prevent the thermodynamic instability at the Ta2O5/Si interface. Capacitance-voltage (C V) measurements were carried out to investigate the electric/defect characteristics of the Ta2O5/Si systems. For the non-nitrided Si substrate, XPS detects no surface oxide formed prior to Ta2O5 deposition. C V measurement reveals high densities of fixed charges, trapping sites and interface states in the Ta2O5/non-nitrided Si sample; indicative of a defective interlayer is formed during Ta2O5 deposition. Ta2O5 on both nitrided systems exhibits a reduced amount of fixed charges and trapping sites. Nevertheless, NH3 plasma nitridation is not as effective as N2O plasma nitridation in diminishing the density of interface states. The different electric/defect characters between the NH3 and N2O nitrided systems are attributed to the further oxidation of the nitrogen-rich SiOxNy layer produced by NH3 plasma nitridation, which induces defects at the dielectric/Si interface. The effectiveness of nitridation process, therefore, shall depend on the stability of the nitrided layer during deposition of Ta2O5.
Post-deposition annealing at 650oC or 800oC leads to an increment of Nh, except in a less extent for the N2O nitrided sample, and reduce all Dit to ~1012 cm-2eV-1. Concurrently, crystallization of the Ta2O5 layer and depletion of nitrogen in the SiOxNy interlayer formed by NH3 plasma nitridation are observed after annealing at 800oC. As for current-voltage (I V) characteristics, all as-deposited samples exhibit large leakage currents, regardless of the pre-nitridation process. Post-deposition annealing will significantly lower the leakage currents and the annealed Ta2O5 deposited on N2O nitrided Si exhibits the best I V character than the others at high electric field.

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