LPCVD amorphous silicon carbide films, properties and microelectronics applications

This paper describes the deposition and properties of amorphous silicon carbide thin films, prepared by the low pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD) technique at different temperatures (700-1000 degrees C), using hexamethyldisilane as precursor. Films composition, morphology, structure and electric properties as a function of different deposition conditions were established. Two basic applications, such as the use of a-SiC films as etching mask layers for sensors silicon membrane fabrication and as active layers for field emission devices are reported and discussed in correlation with film properties. Silicon carbide films were patterned by dry etching process in a plasma barrel reactor, using CF4 + O-2 as gas feed. The upper limits of the field emission current densities obtained from a-SiC layers were 2.4 mA/cm(2) for the electric field of 25 V/mu m.