Analysis of Carrier Traps in Silicon Nitride Film with Discharge Current Transient Spectroscopy, Photoluminescence, and Electron Spin Resonance

Electrical characteristics and an origin of traps in silicon nitride film were investigated using discharge current transient spectroscopy (DCTS), electron spin resonance (ESR), and photoluminescence (PL). It was found from DCTS that the density of traps of 1.1 eV from the conduction band edge increased with the increase of the gas-mixture ratio of SiH 2 Cl 2 over NH 3 for the fabrication of silicon nitride film. The energy levels of traps in silicon nitride film of 0.25, 0.68, 0.83–0.91, and 1.25–1.3 eV from the conduction band edge were found from photoluminescence observation. The ESR signals of the K-center that indicated a silicon dangling-bond increased with the increase of the gas-mixture ratio of SiH 2 Cl 2 over NH 3 . It is suggested that the origin of traps of 1.1 eV from the conduction band in silicon nitride film is the silicon dangling-bond.