%0 Journal Article
%A Martil De La Plaza, Ignacio
%A Prado Millán, Álvaro Del
%T Defect structure of SiNx : H films and its evolution with annealing temperature
%D 2000
%@ 0021-8979
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/59222
%X The structure of defects of SiNx:H films is investigated by electron-spin resonance. It is found that a relaxation process takes place at annealing temperatures below 600 degrees C for those compositions in which the nitrogen-to-silicon ratio is above the percolation threshold of the Si-Si bonds in the nitride lattice. The nature of this process is discussed and attributed to a thermally activated charge transfer between metastable defects. No such relaxation occurs in the films with a composition below the percolation threshold, possibly due to a positive correlation energy and a structural lack of flexibility. For higher annealing temperatures, an increase of the defect density is observed and associated with the thermal release of hydrogen. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)00516-8].
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