Creattion of silicon-carbon films by induction assisted plasma chemical deposition

Abstract

Silicon-carbon films are of great interest as diamond-like materials combining unique properties – high hardness, adhesion to a wide class of materials, abrasion resistance, as well as chemical resistance, low coefficient of friction and biocompatibility. The presence of silicon in the composition makes it possible to significantly reduce the internal mechanical stresses in such coatings compared to diamond ones. In modern production, films have been used primarily as solid lubricants and protective coatings. There are a large number of methods for producing silicon-carbon films, the most widespread among which are various variants of vapor-phase chemical deposition. In this paper, a method for the synthesis of silicon-carbon films was proposed and tested, based on the use of a high-frequency inductor to produce a plasma of vapors of silicon-carbon liquid injected into the chamber from an external source. Pure silicon-carbon films with a carbon atom content with sp3-hybridized orbitals of 63–65 % were obtained on sitall substrates. The composition, surface roughness and coefficient of friction of unalloyed silicon-carbon films obtained by the proposed method were studied. The possibility of resistive switching in thin silicon carbon films in crossbar structures with metal electrodes was studied.