Let's talk about the importance of silicon nitride (SiNx) in chips silicon nitride

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Why does silicon nitride play a vital function in chips? Examine the advantages of silicon nitride compared to other products.

In chip production, there is a product that plays an essential function, that is silicon nitride (SiNx). Although it might not receive the very same attention as various other much more popular semiconductor materials such as silicon (Si), gallium arsenide (GaAs) or gallium nitride (GaN), its relevance is indisputable. Most chips will certainly utilize this material.

1. Why is it SiNx?

Careful close friends have actually discovered that I used SiNx when creating the chemical formula of silicon nitride. Pals that have examined senior high school chemistry ought to recognize that N is the 5th major group aspect. Logically, the valence should be -3, while the chemical valence of silicon is +4. The chemical formula of silicon nitride should be Si3N4. Just how can it be SiNx?

First, let's speak about the multivalent state of nitrogen: nitrogen has several valence states, mostly because it has 5 valence electrons, and nitrogen atoms can share these electrons in different methods. Nitrogen can form various valence states, which primarily depend on the number of electrons it shares with various other components.

For nitrogen, its most steady valence state is -3, such as in ammonia (NH3) and gallium nitride (GaN). However, nitrogen can likewise create a positive valence state by shedding electrons, such as the +5 valence state in nitric acid (HNO3). In addition, nitrogen can likewise create a valence state between -3 and +5, such as the +3 valence state in nitrous acid (HNO2) or the +1 and +2 valence states in some organic compounds.

Secondly, let's speak about silicon nitride:

In the semiconductor sector, silicon nitride made use of in numerous applications is typically non-uniform, generally represented by SiNx. SiNx is an amorphous material whose properties depend upon the proportion of nitrogen to silicon, that is, the value of x. When the worth of x changes, the physical and chemical residential properties of silicon nitride will certainly additionally transform. Silicon nitride does come in several forms, including Si3N4, Si2N2, SiN, and so on

Si3N4 is a crystalline material, which means that its silicon and nitrogen ratio is fixed. When the value of x amounts to 4/3, SiNx is equal to Si3N4. Nevertheless, in functional applications, SiNx is often non-uniform, and its silicon and nitrogen ratio can be controlled by transforming the specifications of the PVD or CVD procedure.

2. What is the role of SiNx in chip production?

Silicon nitride has superb insulation buildings, and its resistivity can be as high as 10 ^ 14 Ω · cm, much going beyond some usual shielding materials such as silicon oxide (SiO2). Its reduced dielectric continuous makes it a suitable isolation layer in microwave and RF applications. The silicon nitride layer likewise contributes in obstructing the diffusion of pollutants in the chip. It can prevent dopants such as boron and phosphorus from changing device qualities through diffusion. In addition, it can also stop the diffusion of steel ions to stop faults such as brief circuits.

The exceptional thermal stability of silicon nitride is established by its unique chemical homes and crystal framework. It can remain secure in a high-temperature environment without chemical decomposition or physical shape modifications like various other products. That's because in the crystal framework of silicon nitride, each silicon atom is incorporated with four nitrogen atoms in the type of a tetrahedron, and each nitrogen atom is additionally incorporated with 4 silicon atoms in the type of a tetrahedron. This structure makes the crystal lattice of silicon nitride very stable and challenging to deform. Therefore, it is used as a gate-insulating layer when producing high electron flexibility transistors (HEMTs).

3. What are the advantages of SiNx over SiO2?

Better thermal stability, more challenging solidity, and harder to etch.

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