Influence of boron doping on the properties of amorphous and microcrystalline SiC films prepared using ECR-CVD

Abstract

Hydrogenated silicon carbide films (SiC:H) were deposited using the electron cyclotron resonance plasma chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD) method from a mixture of methane, silane, and hydrogen, with diborane as the doping gas. The effect of changes in the percentage of the diborane to reactant gas mixture on the deposition rate, optical bandgap, and photoconductivity were investigated. There is evidence from Raman scattering analysis to show that films deposited at a low microwave power of 150 W were all amorphous and the bandgap decreases as the diborane level is increased whereas films deposited at a high microwave power of 800 W at low diborane levels are highly photoconductive and contain microcrystalline silicon inclusions. These films become amorphous as the diborane level is increased, while the optical bandgap remains relatively unaffected throughout the entire range of diborane levels investigated. The effect of the microwave power was also investigated. The conductivity increases rapidly to a maximum, followed by rapid reduction at high microwave powers. Raman scattering analysis showed evidence of the formation and increase of microcrystalline silicon inclusions and diamond-like components in the films, the former of which could account for the rapid increase and the latter the subsequent decrease in the conductivity.