Patent attributes
A method of depositing tensile or compressively stressed silicon nitride on a substrate is described. Silicon nitride having a tensile stress with an absolute value of at least about 1200 MPa can be deposited from process gas comprising silicon-containing gas and nitrogen-containing gas, maintained in an electric field having a strength of from about 25 V/mil to about 300 V/mil. The electric field is formed by applying a voltage at a power level of less than about 60 Watts across electrodes that are spaced apart by a separation distance that is at least about 600 mils. Alternatively, silicon nitride having a compressive stress with an absolute value of at least about 2000 MPa can be formed in an electric field having a strength of from about 400 V/mil to about 800 V/mil.
