Temperature effects in the hot wire chemical vapor deposition of amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbon alloy

Abstract

Structural and optical investigation of plasma deposited silicon carbon alloys: Insights on Si-C bond configuration using spectroscopic ellipsometry J. Appl. Phys. 97, 103504 (2005); 10.1063/1.1899758Hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide deposition using electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition under high microwave power and strong hydrogen dilution Effects of microwave power on the structural and emission properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide deposited by electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor depositionThe microstructure, composition, and bonding in hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbon alloy (a-SiC:H) films grown at different substrate temperatures were investigated by a combination of multiple internal reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and near edge x-ray absorption fine structure measurements. Hot wire chemical vapor deposition ͑HW-CVD͒ was used to grow the thin films at substrate temperatures ranging from 200 to 600 K using mono-and trimethylsilane as precursors. It is found that raising the substrate temperature during HW-CVD leads to films depleted in the higher hydrides ͑namely SiH 3 , SiH 2 , and CH 3 ͒ in favor of the lower hydrides ͑SiH and CH͒. This change marks a transition of the film structure from a highly methylated-polysilane backbone to a polycarbosilane backbone. In addition, some crystalline characteristics appear with increasing substrate temperature, demonstrating that the change of substrate temperature affects both the hydrogen configuration and the microstructure of the film. Temperature-dependent growth of thin a-SiC:H films by HW-CVD is compared with the method of electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced ͑PECVD͒.

Mass spectrometric study of gas-phase chemistry in a hot-wire chemical vapor deposition reactor with tetramethylsilane

“…In the study of the microstructures of silicon carbide films grown from HWCVD at different substrate temperatures using mono-and tri-methylsilane as source gases [34], it was indicated that using a source gas with a high C:Si ratio such as trimethylsilane has led to a polycarbosilane structure characterized by a backbone containing both silicon and carbon, whereas a SiC film with a polymethylsilane character that is networked through the Si atoms was formed by using monomethylsilane at low substrate temperatures. Although the film microstructure using TMS was not reported, the mechanism proposed in this study for the formation of gas-phase silicon-carbon clusters is in trend with the previous study [36].…”

Effect of Si–H Bond on the Gas-Phase Chemistry of Trimethylsilane in the Hot Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition Process

“…Lee and Bent , have reported the growth of hydrogenated amorphous SiC (a-SiC:H) films by HWCVD using mono- and trimethylsilanes. They showed that Si–H bond cleavage is the dominant pathway for film growth, and the growth mechanism depends strongly on reactions involving the methylsilane precursors.…”

“…Therefore, knowledge of source gas decomposition on the hot filament and subsequent gas-phase reactions is important and desirable for the development of a comprehensive deposition model. Lee and Bent 10,11 have reported the growth of hydrogenated amorphous SiC (a-SiC:H) films by HWCVD using mono-and trimethylsilanes. They showed that SiÀH bond cleavage is the dominant pathway for film growth, and the growth mechanism depends strongly on reactions involving the methylsilane precursors.…”

Effect of trimethylsilane pressure on hot-wire chemical vapor deposition chemistry using vacuum ultraviolet laser ionization mass spectrometry

“…3 Among these materials, amorphous and crystalline silicon carbides have been applied in many different devices due to their desirable optical, electrical, and mechanical properties. 12,13 In their work on the comparison of different precursors (including mono-, tri-, and tetra-methylsilane) on the growth of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide films (a-SiC:H) by hot-wire CVD, 12 Lee and Bent have shown that the growth mechanism proceeds via Si-H bond cleavage and is dependent on the reaction chemistry of the precursors. Indeed, TriMS has been used as a single-source precursor in rapid thermal CVD, 7,8 plasmaenhanced CVD, 9 atomic hydrogen-induced CVD, 10,11 and hotwire CVD.…”