Thin-film temperature-sensitive resistor material and production process thereof

• US 6,413,385 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2000
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sasaki, Tokuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): MCDONALD, RODNEY GLENN
• Application Number:
  US09/617,030
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 204/192.21, 204/192.15
• US Class Current: 204/192.21
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0676 Oxynitrides
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/20 using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 17/12 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 7/006 Thin film resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/24 with an active material comprising a refractory, transition or noble metal, metal compound or metal alloy, e.g. silicides, oxides, nitrides

Abstract

Described are a thin-film temperature-sensitive resistor material which comprises, at a temperature-sensitive resistor portion, a mixed crystal of a nitride and oxide of a transition metal such as vanadium [preferably, that represented by the formula: MN_xO_y wherein 0<x<1, and 2≦y≦13/6], simultaneously exhibits a high temperature coefficient of resistance and a low specific resistance at about room temperature, and has excellent sensitivity at about room temperature; and a process for the production of a thin-film temperature-sensitive resistor material, which comprises forming its temperature-sensitive resistor portion by using a gas-atmosphere composed mainly of a nitrogen gas [preferably, a mixed gas composed of nitrogen, argon and oxygen, and has a flow rate ratio of nitrogen to oxygen (nitrogen/oxygen) of 14/1 to 23/1].

Claims

1. A process for producing a thin-film temperature-sensitive resistor material, which process comprises sputtering a transition metal target in a gas atmosphere composed mainly of nitrogen gas to form a mixed crystal of a transition metal oxynitride, wherein the gas atmosphere is a mixed gas of nitrogen, argon and oxygen, and a flow rate ratio of nitrogen to oxygen, expressed as nitrogen/oxygen, falls within a range of from 14/1 to 23/1, wherein the mixed crystal of the transition metal oxide comprises a mixed crystal of vanadium oxynitride which has a temperature coefficient of −

3.9 to −

7.2%/K, wherein said mixed crystal has a composition represented by the following formula;

MN_xO_y, wherein M represents vanadium and wherein 0<

x<

1, and 2≦

y≦

13/6.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said transition metal target is subjected to preliminary sputtering in a mixed gas of nitrogen, argon and oxygen.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein a film of the mixed crystal of vanadium oxynitride is formed on a substrate and a protective silicon nitride film is formed on the film of the mixed crystal of the vanadium oxynitride.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein the mixed crystal of a transition metal oxynitride is a film and has a thickness of about 100 A to about 1000 A.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein the process is conducted at a sputtering pressure of about 4 to 30 mTorr.

6. A process according to claim 1, which comprises the steps of heating a substrate, forming the gas atmosphere which comprises nitrogen, argon and oxygen and then initiating discharge to effect the sputtering of the substrate, wherein the sputtering is a high-frequency sputtering.