A study of plasma-deposited amorphous SiO x:H [formula omitted] films using infrared spectroscopy

Abstract

The Si–O stretching mode in amorphous SiO x :H (a-SiO x :H) films, prepared by rf glow discharge decomposition of a SiH 4–O 2 mixture at 300°C, has been investigated by infrared absorption measurements as a function of the O content x. It was found that the ratio, I AS 1 /N Si , of the absorption intensity of the Si–O stretching mode centered around 1000 cm −1 to the density of Si atoms increased linearly with increasing x, up to x=0.6. Above x=0.6, the rate of increase of the I AS 1 /N Si values became slower. However, the ratio, I sum /N Si , of sum of the absorption intensities for both 1000 and 1150 cm −1 bands to the density of Si atoms increased linearly with increasing x for x>0.6. We obtained the proportionality coefficient, A SiO, of the Si–O stretching mode to be 1.48×10 19 cm −2. The characteristic of the Si–O stretching mode and the A SiO are discussed.