Nanostructured silicon carbon thin films grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition technique

Abstract

Nanostructured silicon carbon thin films, composed of Si nanocrystallites embedded in hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbon matrix, have been prepared by varying rf power in ultra high vacuum plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition system using silane and methane gas mixtures diluted in hydrogen. In this paper we have studied the compositional, structural and electrical properties of these films as a function of rf power. It is shown that with increasing rf power the atomic densities of carbon and hydrogen increase while the atomic density of silicon decreases, resulting in a reduction in the mass density. Further, it is demonstrated that carbon is incorporated into amorphous matrix and it is mainly bonded to silicon. The study has also revealed that the crystalline volume fraction decreases with increase in rf power and that the films deposited with low rf power have a size distribution of large and small crystallites while the films deposited with relatively high power have only small crystallites. Finally, the enhanced transport properties of the nanostructured silicon carbon films, as compared to amorphous counterpart, have been attributed to the presence of Si nanocrystallites.