The air-exposed surface of sputter deposited silicon carbide studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the air-exposed surface of sputter deposited amorphous silicon carbide films shows three dominant features: (1) Si–C bonding characteristic of SiC, with Si 2p electron binding energy at 100.4–100.7 eV and C 1s electron binding energy at 282.7–283.2 eV, (2) Si–O bonding characteristic of SiO2, with Si 2p electron binding energy at 102.1–102.5 eV, O 1s electron binding energy at 532.0 eV, and the O 1s-Si 2p electron binding energy difference equal to 429.5–429.9 eV, and (3) a strong adventitious C signal. The spectral features are consistent with a model for the surface of SiC powder consisting of several monolayers of hydrocarbons over several nm of SiO2 that overlays the bulk SiC. The oxidation behavior of the film surface was found to depend upon the cathode voltage at which the film was deposited.