Nitrogen Plasma Instabilities and the Growth of Silicon Nitride by Electron Cyclotron Resonance Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition

Nitrogen plasma instabilities have been identified through fluctuations in the ion current density and substrate floating potential. The plasma characteristics for both nitrogen and silane-nitrogen plasmas are consistent with a transition from an underdense to overdense plasma at 0.9 and 1.0 mTorr respectively.