Your silicon nitride is going to be amorphous if you sputter it. I would
think that all silicon nitride forms are highly insulating.

I don't know if you can Evap silicon. You would have to make sure the
target was conducting. With a nitrogen atmosphere I would think you
would get silicon nitride. I don't know if it would be very
stoichometric.

If the Silicon Nitride was silicon rich it would be likely somewhat
conducting and not a good insulator. If it is nitride rich it would
probably be a very good insulator.  You might have to make sure your
substrate is heated to insure individual atoms of silicon that reached
the substrate reacted with nitrogen.

Finally, I would be concerned whether an atom of silicon would react
with N2, a very stable and unreactive triple bonded molecule. The e-beam
would ionize some of the nitrogren in passage to the target and that
might supply reactive nitrogen species.

Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: mems-talk-bounces@memsnet.org
[mailto:mems-talk-bounces@memsnet.org] On Behalf Of Dave
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 11:10 AM
To: mems-talk@memsnet.org
Subject: [mems-talk] Ebeam evaporation of Silicon Nitride

Hello,

I am looking to deposit an insulating, optically clear, layer for some
circuitry, and was wondering if I could Ebeam evaporate Silicon nitride?
Also, if I can, I saw something about alpha and beta forms, is there any
substantial difference when dealing with the insulating properties?

Thanks,
David Casale
Drexel University