Method for structuring a nitride layer, structured dielectric layer, optoelectronic component, etching method for etching layers, and an environment sensor

1. Method for patterning a nitride layer having the following steps:

A) providing the nitride layer, which is formed with a silicon nitride of a first type, wherein the silicon nitride of the first type is SiN and has a non-stoichiometric ratio of N/Si,

B) defining regions to be transformed of the nitride layer and remaining regions of the nitride layer,

C) introducing the nitride layer into a transformation chamber for the duration of a transformation period, wherein the transformation period is selected such that at least 80% of the regions to be transformed of the nitride layer are transformed into oxide regions, which are formed with a silicon oxide,

wherein process conditions for transformation in the transformation chamber during method step C) are selected as follows:

temperature of at least 80° C. and at most 200° C.,

pressure of at least 1 bar and at most 15 bar, and

relative humidity of at least 80% and at most 99%.

2. Method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the remaining regions of the nitride layer remain at least 60% untransformed.

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein in step A) the nitride layer is applied to a carrier in a deposition chamber by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), wherein at least one of the deposition conditions in the deposition chamber is selected as follows:

SiH 4 flow rate of at least 4.5% and at most 5.5% of the nitrogen (N 2 ) flow rate,

NH 3 flow rate of at least 14.5% and at most 16.5% of the nitrogen (N 2 ) flow rate,

total pressure of at least 4800 mTorr and at most 5200 mTorr,

deposition temperature of at least 280° C. and at most 320° C., and/or

plasma power of at least 580 W and at most 620 W.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein for the defining process in step B) a patterned mask layer is applied to a top face of the nitride layer, wherein regions of the nitride layer not covered by the mask layer form the regions to be transformed.

5. Method according to claim 4 , wherein a maximum under-transformation region of the regions of the nitride layer covered by the mask layer is transformed into oxide regions.

6. Method according to claim 1 , wherein a layer sequence comprising a patterned dielectric layer and an etching solution are provided, and the patterned dielectric layer is produced using the method for pattering the nitride layer according to claim 1 , wherein

the layer sequence is partially removed using the etching solution,

the patterned dielectric layer comprises

a main plane, in which the patterned dielectric layer extends in lateral directions,

at least one oxide region, which is formed with silicon oxide,

at least one nitride region, which is formed with silicon nitride of the first type and

at least one boundary region, which is arranged between the oxide region and the nitride region and directly adjoins the oxide region and the nitride region,

the concentration of silicon oxide in the boundary region decreases continuously away from the oxide region and towards the nitride region and/or the concentration of silicon nitride of the first type increases continuously in the boundary region away from the oxide region and towards the nitride region, and

the etching solution has a higher etching rate for the material of the oxide regions than for the material of the nitride regions and the nitride regions form an etch stop layer or the etching solution has a higher etching rate for the material of the nitride regions than for the material of the oxide regions and the oxide regions form an etch stop layer.