Infrared absorption study of N–H bonds in plasma-deposited silicon oxynitride films

Abstract

A study of the infrared (IR) absorption by N–H bonds in plasma-deposited silicon oxynitride films is presented. Emphasis in this study is placed on the absorption strength for the N–H stretching mode per bond, i.e., the absorptivity. It is found that the absorptivity strongly peaks at an oxygen-to-nitrogen ratio of O/(O+N)=0.2. A tentative explanation for the unusually high IR absorption strength in relation to the structure of the material is given.