| The reactive sputtering of SiN thin films was investigated as a function of process parameters such as power, pressure, nitrogen to argon gas ratio, and flow rate. The SiN film properties including internal stress and corrosion resistance were affected by the microstructure of SiN thin films rather than by the refractive index. As sputtering pressure was increased, columnar structure was enhanaced with the decreased film density, resulting in the remarkable change in the internal stress and the etch rate. With increasing nitrogen gas ratio and flow rate, the refractive index and deposition rate decreased due to the increased nitrogen reaction. The optimum sputtering condition to meet the required SiN film properties as a protective and underlayer of magneto-optical disk was subject to the reactive process of sputtered atoms, which was greatly influenced by power and pressure. |
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