EFFECTS OF PLASMA TREATMENT ON THE PROPERTIES OF ROOM-TEMPERATURE LIQUID-PHASE DEPOSITED (LPD) OXIDE-FILMS

Abstract

Effects of plasma treatment including H-2 or O-2 On the properties of LPD oxide were investigated. After plasma treatment, the physicochemical characteristics of LPD oxide films were greatly improved. No matter whether with H-2 or O-2 plasma treatment, the LPD oxide film exhibited higher refractive index and lower P-etch rate than as-deposited films. The electrical characteristics were also improved. This indicates that plasma treatment can effectively passivate the vacancies in LPD oxide. It was also found that the treatment using O-2 source was better than using H-2. This was the same as for the case of thermal annealing. Because the plasma treated LPD oxide exhibited superior results to the thermally annealed one and the temperature in plasma treatment was much lower than that in thermal annealing, plasma treatment is more suitable for improving the characteristics of LPD oxide films.