Silicon Nitride for Microelectronic Applications

This survey is concerned with the use of silicon nitride in the semi­ conductor and microelectronics industries. The Handbook of Electronic Materials, volume 3, comprises part 1 of this survey and includes preparation and properties information. This report was prepared by Hughes Aircraft Company, Culver City, California under Contract Number F336lS-70-C-1348. The work was admini­ stered under the direction of the Air Force Materials Laboratory, Air Force Systems Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, with Hr. B. Emrich, Project Engineer. The Electronic Properties Information Center (EPIC) is a designated Information Analysis Center of the Department of Defense, authorized to pro­ vide information to the entire DoD community. The purpose of the Center is to provide a highly competent source of information and data on the electronic, optical and magnetic properties of materials of value to the Department of Defense. Its major function is to evaluate, compile and publish the experi­ mental data from the world's unclassified literature concerned with the properties of materials. All materials relevant to the field of electronics are within the scope of EPIC: insulators, semiconductors, metals, super­ conductors, ferrites, ferroelectrics, ferromagnetics, electroluminescents, thermionic emitters and optical materials. The Center's scope includes information on over 100 basic properties of materials; information generally regarded as being in the area of devices and/or circuitry is excluded. v CONTENTS Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Diffusion Mask Applications . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . '" 11 Glass-to-Metal Seals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Passivation Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Isolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Memory Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Capacitors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Radiation Hardening Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •. . . . . . . . .