Deposition and optical properties of amorphous hydrogenated SixCy layers

Chumakov, A. A.; Bulkin, Pavel; Swart, Pieter L.; Lacquet, Beatrys M.; Scherbakov, Anatoli A.

doi:10.1016/0921-5107(94)04027-2

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Thus, by RF sputtering, it is possible to obtain a dense films of a-SiC:H only by increasing substrate temperature. Figure shows that from 200 to 400 °C the Si–H 2 stretching mode frequency shift to higher wavenumber values as has been reported for a-SiC:H films elaborated by other methods . Generally, this effect is related to the incorporation of carbon where the electronegativity of Carbon element is higher than Si element .…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 74%

“…Figure 5 shows that from 200 to 400 °C the Si−H 2 stretching mode frequency shift to higher wavenumber values as has been reported for a-SiC:H films elaborated by other methods. 48 Generally, this effect is related to the incorporation of carbon where the electronegativity of Carbon element is higher than Si element. 49 Note that there has been a debate on the cause of this frequency shift which can be associated to void formation.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of Substrate Temperature on (Micro/Nano)Structure of a-SiC:H Thin Films Deposited by Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering.

Daouahi

Rekik

2012

J. Phys. Chem. C

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The nature of the hydrogen bonds and their influence on film (micro/nano)structure has been investigated as a function of substrate temperature T S (200–500 °C) in hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) thin films. These films were prepared by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering at a common pressure and high hydrogen dilution in the gas phase mixture (Ar + 80% H2). Infrared absorption and Raman spectroscopy experiments have been carried out to characterize the (micro/nano)structure of different series as a function of T S. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicate that all series are characterized by the presence of the low Si–H n and C–H n bond concentration and no absorption band at 2000 cm–1 attributed to isolated monohydride Si–H can be detected, which suggests that the hydrogen is predominantly bonded as polyhydride groups (Si–H2) n , giving the band at 2090 cm–1. The concentration of the Si–C bond and the crystalline fraction, which increase with increasing T S, show an improvement in the crystallinity of the films. The influence of T S on the growth of crystalline nanograins is studied by Raman spectroscopy. At temperatures T S ≥ 200 °C, these films contain Si–C crystallites in addition to the Si nanocrystals distributed in the amorphous network. The Si crystallite size is unaffected by the increase of T S but the size of graphitic domains is reduced and their distribution becomes more disordered. Results of Raman spectroscopy show also that the high values obtained for the line width of transverse acoustic TA-like band toward low frequencies justifies the deconvolution of infrared spectra taking into account the doublet (845 and 910 cm–1). The results of this paper therefore shed light on the origin of amorphous and nanocrystalline structure in the a-SiC:H thin films, which has been a subject of debate for decades.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 74%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Substrate Temperature on (Micro/Nano)Structure of a-SiC:H Thin Films Deposited by Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering.

Daouahi

Rekik

2012

J. Phys. Chem. C

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“…From a materials science point of view, among the more interesting thin films are those of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide ͑a-SiC:H͒ whose structural, electrical, and optical properties are primarily controlled by the ratio of Si:C and the degree of hydrogenation. [3][4][5][6] Several groups 7-10 have studied the influence of hydrogen desorption on the bonding states in a-SiC:H. It was reported 7,9 that hydrogen evolves under annealing in a twostep process, which first involves the breaking of Si-H bonds and then, in a second step, of C-H bonds. This was justified by the higher C-H single bond energy ͑98.8 kcal/ mol͒ compared to Si-H ͑70.4 kcal/mol͒.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of annealing on the defect structure in a-SiC:H films

Friessnegg

Boudreau

Brown

et al. 1996

Journal of Applied Physics

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The annealing behavior of amorphous, hydrogenated silicon carbide films in the range 400-900°C was studied by optical characterization methods, 15 N hydrogen profiling, and defect profiling using a variable energy positron beam. The films were deposited in an electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition system using ditertiary butyl silane ͓SiH 2 ͑C 4 H 9 ͒ 2 ͔ as the monosource for silicon and carbon. As-deposited films were found to contain large concentrations of hydrogen, both bonded and unbonded. Under rapid thermal annealing in a N 2 atmosphere, the bonded hydrogen effuses giving rise to additional Si-C bond formation and to film densification. After annealing at high temperatures in N 2 , a marked decrease in the total hydrogen content is observed. After annealing in vacuum, however, the hydrogen effusion promotes void formation in the films.

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