Structural Evolution of SiC Films During Plasma-Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition

Evolution of chemical bonding configurations for the films deposited from hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) diluted with H-2 during plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition is investigated. In the experiment a small amount of CH4 was added to adjust the plasma environment and modify the structure of the deposited films. The measurements of Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the production of 6H-SiC embedded in the amorphous matrix without the input of CH4. As CH4 was introduced into the deposition reaction, the transition of 6H-SiC to cubic SiC in the films took place, and also the film surfaces changed from a structure of ellipsoids to cauliflower-like shapes. With a further increase of CH4 in the flow ratio, the obtained films varied from Si-C bonding dominant to a sp(2)/sp(3) carbon-rich composition.