A Brief Review of Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition of Si₃N₄

Silicon nitride (SiN_x) thin films have attracted interest as an important material for use in next-generation devices such as a gate spacer in 3D fin field-effect transistors (finFETs), charge trap layers, etc. Many studies using the SiN_x plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) method have been conducted, owing to its advantages over other SiN_x deposition methods. In this review, the recent studies on PEALD of SiN_x thin films are summarized, and the effects of some process parameters including plasma power, frequency, and process temperature on the material properties of SiN_x are discussed. In addition, some properties of SiN_x thin films such as conformality, wet etch rate, and others are reviewed.