Thermochemical Nitridation of Microporous Silica Films in Ammonia

Microporous silicon dioxide thin Films were deposited on silicon substrates from a solution of tetraethoxysilane, ethanol, and water. These were converted to dense oxynitrides through a high‐temperature reaction with ammonia. The ammonia treatments yielded amorphous, compositionally homogeneous films with overall nitrogen contents ranging up to 40 mol%. For ammonia treatments below 800°C, nitrogen was incorporated into the films as an amine species, whereas higher temperature treatments produced a nitride material.