Influence of the thickness of Si and Ge films deposited on Si$_3$N$_4$/SiO$_2$/Si substrates on their structure and diffusion of hydrogen atoms from Si$_3$N$_4$ layers

TL;DR

This study investigates how the thickness of silicon and germanium films affects their structure and hydrogen diffusion from Si3N4 layers, revealing that thicker films facilitate greater hydrogen atom migration during growth.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the relationship between film thickness and hydrogen diffusion dynamics in Si and Ge films on dielectric substrates.

Findings

Thicker films lead to decreased N-H absorption and increased Si-N absorption.

Hydrogen diffusion occurs primarily during film growth, influenced by chemical potential differences.

Stopping film growth halts hydrogen migration due to reduced chemical potential gradient.

Abstract

The results of RHEED, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy study of silicon and germanium films with the thickness up to 200 nm grown from molecular beams on dielectric Si$_3$N$_4$/SiO$_2$/Si(001) substrates are presented. Noticeable changes of the intensity of the N$-$H and Si$-$N absorption bands have been observed in the IR absorbance spectra as a result of the deposition of the silicon and germanium films. The thicker was the deposited film, the more considerable were the decrease of N$-$H absorption band intensity and the increase in that of the Si$-$N band. This tendency has been observed during the growth of both amorphous and polycrystalline Si or Ge films. The reduction of IR absorption at the band assigned to the N$-$H bond vibration is explained by breaking of these bonds followed by the diffusion of the hydrogen atoms from the Si$_3$N$_4$ layer into the growing film of silicon or germanium. The effect of the deposited film thickness on the diffusion of hydrogen is discussed within a model of the diffusion of hydrogen atoms controlled by the difference in chemical potentials of hydrogen atoms in the dielectric Si$_3$N$_4$ layer and the growing silicon or germanium film. Hydrogen atoms escape from the Si$_3$N$_4$ layer only during the deposition of a Si or Ge film when its thickness gradually grows. The interruption of the film growth stops the migration of hydrogen atoms into the film because of the decline in the chemical potential difference.