PECVD Recipes

Back to Vacuum Deposition Recipes.

PECVD 1 (PlasmaTherm 790)

SiO₂ deposition (PECVD #1)

• SiO₂ [PECVD 1] Standard Recipe

• SiO₂ [PECVD 1] Current Process Control Data
• SiO₂ [PECVD 1] Historical Data - Oct. 2021 and earlier

SiN deposition (PECVD #1)

• Si₃N₄ [PECVD 1] Standard Recipe
• Si₃N₄ [PECVD 1] Current Process Control Data
• Si₃N₄ [PECVD 1] Historical Data - Oct. 2021 and earlier

Low Stress Si₃N₄ (PECVD#1)

• Low Stress Si₃N₄ [PECVD 1] Standard Recipe
• Low Stress Si₃N₄ [PECVD 1] Historical Data - 2021-10 and earlier

Example of Si₃N₄ modified stress via. varying N₂ flow.  Refractive index is relatively constant (one outlier), and stress varies continuously from tensile to compressive.  (Demis D. John 2011, Blumenthal Group)

SiO_xN_y deposition (PECVD #1)

• SiO_xN_y Standard Recipe
• SiO_xN_y Data 2014 - Rate, Index etc.
• SiO_xN_y1000A Thickness uniformity 2014

Standard Cleaning Procedure (PECVD #1)

The cleaning procedure is very important in order to have consistent result on this tool and also to keep particulate count low. After each deposition you should clean the tool following instructions carefully. The clean is done in two steps:

1. Wet cleaning (start cleaning by using a cleanroom wipe sprayed with DI. Wipe chamber sidewalls with it. Finish cleaning by using the cleanroom wipe sprayed with IPA. )
2. Load the recipe for cleaning "CF4/O2 Clean" (edit the recipe and change ONLY time of cleaning). Follow instructions regarding a required time for cleaning.

Table of Cleaning Times

Film Dep'd	Cleaning Time
SiO2	TBD
Si3N4	TBD
SiOxNy	Same as XYZ

Standard Cleaning Recipe (PECVD#1): "CF4/O2 Clean"

Click the above link for a screenshot of the standard cleaning recipe, for which you will enter a custom time. The recipe is set up so that it will pop up a window for the cleaning time upon running the recipe - you do not need to edit the recipe before running it.

PECVD 2 (Advanced Vacuum)

SiO₂ deposition (PECVD #2)

• SiO₂ [PECVD 2] New Standard Recipe - "STD SiO2 v2"
• SiO₂ [PECVD 2] Old Standard Recipe - "STD SiO2"
• SiO₂ [PECVD 2] Current Process Control Data
• SiO₂ [PECVD 2] Historical Data - Before Oct. 2021

SiN deposition (PECVD #2)

• Si₃N₄ [PECVD 2] New Standard Recipe - "STD Si3N4 v3"
• Si₃N₄ [PECVD 2] Old Standard Recipe - "Nitride2"
• Si₃N₄ [PECVD 2] Current Process Control Data
• Si₃N₄ [PECVD 2] Historical Data - Before Oct. 2021

Low-Stress SiN deposition (PECVD #2)

Low-Stress Silicon Nitride, Si₃N₄ (< ±100 MPa)

• Low Stress Si₃N₄ [PECVD 2] New Standard Recipe - " STD LS-Si3N4 v4 "

• Low Stress Si₃N₄ [PECVD 2] Standard Recipe - " Old LSNitride2 recipe "

• Low Stress Si₃N₄ [PECVD 2] Current Process Control Data
• Plots of Low-Stress Si₃N₄ Process Control Data
• Low Stress Si₃N₄ [PECVD 2] Historical Data - Before Oct. 2021

  Old Versions of the recipe:

  LS Nitride2 Standard Recipe 2014-5/9/2018

  STD LSNitride2 5/9/2018

Amorphous-Si deposition (PECVD #2)

• Amorphous Si Deposition Recipe
• Amorphous Si Film Characterization and Stress

Standard Cleaning Procedure (PECVD #2)

The cleaning procedure is very important in order to have consistent result on this tool and also to keep particulate count low. After each deposition you should clean the tool following instructions carefully. The clean is done in two steps:

1. (If >29min dep time) Wet cleaning: Start cleaning by using a cleanroom wipe sprayed with DI. Wipe upper chamber sidewalls with it. Finish cleaning by using the cleanroom wipe sprayed with IPA & wiping again.
2. Load the recipe for cleaning "STD CF₄/O₂ Clean" (edit the recipe and change ONLY time of cleaning). Follow instructions regarding required time for cleaning.

Standard Clean Recipe (PECVD#2): "STD CF4/O2 Clean"

Click the above link for a screenshot of the standard cleaning recipe, for which you will enter a custom time. The recipe is set up so that it will pop up a window for the cleaning time upon running the recipe - you do not need to edit the recipe before running it.

Clean Times (PECVD#2)

Film Deposited	Cleaning Time (Dry)
SiO2	1 min. clean for every 1 min. deposition
Si3N4	1 min. clean for every 7 min of deposition
If > 29min total dep time (Season + Dep)	Wet Clean the Upper Lid/Chamber DI water then Isopropyl Alcohol on chamber wall & portholes

ICP-PECVD (Unaxis VLR)

2020-02: New recipes have been characterized for low particulate count and repeatability.  Only staff-supplied recipes are allowed in the tool. Please follow the new procedures to ensure low particle counts in the chamber.

The system currently has Deuterated Silane (SiD4) installed - identical to the regular Silicon precursor SiH4, except that it significantly lowers optical absorption in the near-infrared due to shifted molecular vibrations/molecular weights. This gas is more expensive and thus more applicable to optical application than to general-purpose SiN films.

Process Control Data (Unaxis ICP-PECVD)

• ICP-PECVD Process Control Plots - Plots of all Process Control data
• Low Deposition Rate SiO₂
• High Deposition Rate SiO₂
• Si₃N₄
• Low Stress Si₃N₄

Low Deposition Rate SiO₂ [ICP-PECVD]

• Low Deposition Rate SiO₂ [ICP-PECVD] - Standard Recipe - "SiO2 LDR250C"
• Low Deposition Rate SiO₂ [ICP-PECVD] - Standard Recipe - "SiO2 LDR250C"
  • Old Recipe -

• Low Deposition Rate SiO₂ [ICP-PECVD] - Process Control Data
• Low Deposition Rate SiO₂ [ICP-PECVD] - Historical Data - before Oct. 2021

High Deposition Rate SiO₂ [ICP-PECVD]

• High Deposition Rate SiO₂ [ICP-PECVD] - Standard Recipe - "SiO2 HDR250C"
  • Old Recipe

• High Deposition Rate SiO₂ [ICP-PECVD] - Current Process Control Data
• High Deposition Rate SiO₂ [ICP-PECVD] - Historical Data

Si₃N₄ [ICP-PECVD]

• Si₃N₄ [ICP-PECVD] - Standard Recipe - "SiN 250C"
  • Old Recipe

• Si₃N₄ [ICP-PECVD] - Current Process Control Data
• Si₃N₄ [ICP-PECVD] - Historical Data - before Oct. 2021

Low Stress Si₃N₄ [ICP-PECVD]

• Low Stress Si₃N₄ [ICP-PECVD] - Standard Recipe - "SiN Low Stress 250C"
  • Old Recipe

• Low Stress Si₃N₄ [ICP-PECVD] - Current Process Control Data

Standard Cleaning Procedure [ICP-PECVD]

You must edit the Post-Dep Clean recipe to correspond to your deposited thickness and material. See the Operating Procedure on the Unaxis Tool Page for details.

• SiNx etches at 20nm/min
• SiO₂ etches at 40nm/min

Standard Clean Recipe

To Be Added

General Recipe Notes (Unaxis VLR ICP-PECVD)

• RF1 = Bias
• RF2 = ICP Power
• All recipes start with an Argon pre-clean with 0W bias (gentle), to improve adhesion/nucleation.
• Maximum SiO₂ Dep. thickness allowed: 800nm
  • Above this thickness, you must run a chamber clean/season before depositing more onto your product wafer.