Effect of Oxygen Doping into SiBN Ternary Film

Oxygen-doped SiBN films are proposed. The effect of oxygen doping is discussed by considering the bonding configuration of oxygen atoms in SiBN films evaluated using infrared absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. While SiBN film is characterized as a material with a low dielectric constant, a lower dielectric constant is obtained by oxygen doping into SiBN film in the [O]/2[Si]<1 region. In this region, oxygen atoms preferentially combine with Si atoms, and lower polarizability Si-O bonds are formed in the films in place of higher polarizability Si-N bonds. However, in the [O]/2[Si]>1 region, the dielectric constant of films increases because oxygen atoms combine with B atoms and polar B-O bonds are formed in the film. The breakdown strength of oxygen-doped SiBN films becomes higher with a decrease in the films' dielectric constant.