Single source deposition of Me-C:H films using metal-organic precursors

Abstract

Abstract The deposition mechanisms of Fe-C:H films from a plasma-activated chemical vapour deposition from metal-organic precursors (PAMOCVD) were investigated by feeding a ferrocene plasma with additional hydrogen. While the deposition rate decreases continously from 36 μm h −1 for low hydrogen flow down to 8 μm h −1 for 50 seem hydrogen flow (1 seem ferrocene), the iron content in the film increases in a steplike behaviour from 9 at% to 15 at% at a hydrogen flow between 20 and 30 seem. The decrease of the deposition rate is due to an etching of the film by atomic hydrogen while the film composition is influenced by a change in the plasma gas chemistry. This change was investigated by quadrupole mass spectroscopy (QMS). We detected a steplike change of iron-containing and iron-free fragments leading to a reduction of iron-free radicals and therefore to an increase in the iron content of the film.