The effect of the substrate temperature and the acceleration potential drop on the structural and physical properties of SiC thin films deposed by TVA method

Abstract

Crystalline Si-C thin films were prepared at substrate temperature between 200°C and 1000°C using Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) method. To increase the acceleration potential drop a negative bias voltage up to -1000V was applied on the substrate. The 200nm thickness carbon thin films was deposed on glass and Si substrate and then 200-500 nm thickness Si-C layer on carbon thin films was deposed. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and electrical conductivity measurement technique characterized the structure and physical characteristics of as-prepared SiC coating. At a constant acceleration potential drop, the electrical conductivity of the Si-C films deposed on C, increase with increasing of substrate temperature. On the other part, significant increases in the acceleration potential drop at constant substrate temperature lead to a variation of the crystallinity and electrical conductivity of the SiC coatings XPS analysis was performed using a Quantera SXM equipment, with monochromatic AlKα radiation at 1486.6eV. Electrical conductivity of the Si-C coating on carbon at different temperatures was measured comparing the potential drop on the sample with the potential drop on a series standard resistance in constant mode.