Spectromicroscopic study of plasma-treatment effect on InP-substrate-based silicon nitride and silicon oxide patterns

Oxygen-plasma treatment was applied to silicon nitride and silicon oxide patterns on an InP substrate, and the effect was investigated by using scanning photoelectron microscopy. After the plasma treatment, the relative intensity of the carbon content was noticeably reduced on the surfaces of the patterns and the substrate, which indicates that the plasma treatment effectively removed the remaining carbon and made the patterns more resistant to carbon contamination. The oxygen-plasma treatment formed a thick oxidized surface on the InP substrate, which results in less occurrence of carbon contamination .