Research on the Insulating Properties of Magnetron Sputtered Silicon Oxide and Silicon Oxide/Silicon Nitride/Silicon Oxide Films

Research on the Insulating Properties of Magnetron Sputtered Silicon Oxide and Silicon Oxide/Silicon Nitride/Silicon Oxide Films

Insulating Properties of Magnetron Sputtered Silicon Oxide Films

1. Preparation and Structure
   Magnetron sputtering is a commonly used thin-film deposition technique. It involves using plasma to bombard the target material (such as silicon) in a vacuum environment to deposit silicon oxide films on a substrate. Studies have shown that silicon oxide films prepared by magnetron sputtering typically exhibit an amorphous structure, which helps enhance the insulating properties of the films.
2. Performance of Insulation
• High Resistivity: Silicon oxide films have high resistivity. Measurements using a megohmmeter indicate that the resistance values vary with sputtering conditions, such as sputtering time, pressure, and power.
• Breakdown Strength: Silicon oxide films have high breakdown strength, meaning they can withstand high electric fields without being punctured. This makes them suitable for high-voltage applications.
• Dielectric Properties: The dielectric constant of silicon oxide films is relatively low, typically ranging from 3.5 to 4.5. This helps reduce electric field concentration and energy loss.
3. Influencing Factors
• Sputtering Parameters: Sputtering pressure, power, and time significantly affect the insulating properties of the films. Lower sputtering pressure and higher power contribute to higher film density and insulation performance.
• Post-treatment: Post-processing techniques, such as rapid thermal annealing, can further optimize the film structure and improve its insulating properties.

Insulating Properties of Silicon Oxide/Silicon Nitride/Silicon Oxide (SiO₂/Si₃N₄/SiO₂) Films

1. Structural Features
   The SiO₂/Si₃N₄/SiO₂ film is a multilayer structure, formed by inserting a silicon nitride layer between silicon oxide layers. This composite structure effectively enhances the overall insulating properties of the film.
2. Advantages in Insulation Performance
• Interfacial Effects: The introduction of the silicon nitride layer improves the interface characteristics between the electrodes and the insulating layer, reducing the density of charge traps at the interface and thereby lowering leakage current.
• Breakdown Strength: The multilayer structure exhibits higher breakdown strength under high electric fields, mainly due to the high insulation performance and good chemical stability of the silicon nitride layer.
• Polarization Characteristics: Studies have shown that SiO₂/Si₃N₄/SiO₂ films have lower polarization losses and higher energy storage efficiency under high electric fields.
3. Application Prospects
   Due to their excellent insulating properties, SiO₂/Si₃N₄/SiO₂ films have broad application prospects in the fields of microelectronics, power electronics, and energy storage materials.

Summary and Outlook