Influence of Substrate Temperature on the Morphology, Composition and Growth Rate of SiC Films Deposited by PECVD

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1077.2013.12203

Abstract

Abstract:

SiC films were deposited on the surface of single crystal Si(100) and polycrystalline Cu by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The effect of substrate temperature on the composition, structure and growth rate of as-deposited films was studied by high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the as-deposited films were amorphous and the growth rate of films decreased with increasing substrate temperature from 60℃ to 500℃. In addition, the growth rate of films deposited on the Si(100) wafer was higher than ones deposited on the polycrystalline Cu under the same deposition conditions. Meanwhile, it was found that the Si/C ratio of films decreased with the increase of substrate temperature. When the substrate temperature was controlled at about 350℃, the Si/C ratio in film was nearly equal to 1:1.

Key words: SiC, PECVD, amorphous film, growth rate, substrate temperature

CLC Number:

TB34

YU Fang-Li, BAI YU, QIN Yi, YUE Dong, LUO Cai-Jun, YANG Jian-Feng. Influence of Substrate Temperature on the Morphology, Composition and Growth Rate of SiC Films Deposited by PECVD[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2013, 28(2): 201-206.

Figures/Tables 8

Table 1 Raw materials used in the experiment

Raw materials	Description
SiH₄	Purity, 99.999%, Diluted to10% by H₂
CH₄	Purity, 99.999%
H₂	Purity, 99.999%
Ar	Purity, 99.99%
Si(100) wafer	P-type doping semiconductor
Cu wafer	Rolling state, Thickness, 0.1 mm

Table 2 Deposition parameters of thin films

SiH₄ flow rate /sccm	CH₄ flow rate /sccm	H₂ flow rate /sccm	Substrate temperature /℃	RF /(W·cm^-2)	Pressure /Pa
20	20	130	60-500	1.3	100

Table 3 The etching solution and time of different substrate

Substrate	Etching solution	Etching time /s
Si (100)	Mixed solution of HF and HNO₃ (5:1)	30-35
Cu	50 vol% HNO₃	150-180

Fig. 1 SEM images of deposited films on the single crystal Si (100) and polycrystalline Cu substrates at different substrate temperatures

Fig. 2 The deposition rate of SiC films at different substrate temperature

Fig. 3 HRTEM images of SiC films on the single crystal Si (100) and polycrystalline Cu substrates at different substrate temperature

Fig. 4 XPS spectra of as-deposited films on the surface of single crystal Si(100)

Fig. 5 Atomic content of Si and C atoms in SiC films on the surfaces of single crystal Si(100) and polycrystalline Cu, (a) Si; (b) Cu

References 19

[1]	Eddy Jr C R, Gaskill D K. Silicon carbide as a platform for power electronics. Science, 2009, 324(12): 1398-1400.
[2]	Lee T H, Bhunia S, Mehregany M. Electromechanical computing at 500℃ with silicon carbide. Science, 2010, 329(5997): 1316-1318.
[3]	Qamar A, Mahmood A, Sarwar T, et al. Synthesis and characterization of porous crystalline SiC thin films prepared by radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering technique. Applied Surface Science, 2011, 257(15): 6923-6927.
[4]	Yu S W, Fan P W, Tang W Z, et al. Pressure dependence of morphology and phase composition of SiC films deposited by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition on cemented carbide substrates. Thin Solid Films, 2011, 520(2): 828-832.
[5]	ElGazzar H, Abdel-Rahman E, Salem H G, et al. Preparation and characterizations of amorphous nanostructured SiC thin films by low energy pulsed laser deposition. Applied Surface Science, 2010, 256(7): 2056-2060.
[6]	LIU Jin-Feng, LIU Zhong-Liang, WU Yu-Yu, et al. Effect of substrate temperature on heteroepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC thin films by MBE on Si(111) substrate. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2007, 22(4): 720-724.
[7]	JIA Hu-Jun, YANG Yin-Tang, ZHU Zuo-Yun, et al. Temperature dependence of β-SiC thin films epitaxial grown on Si substrates. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2000, 15(1): 131-136.
[8]	Swain B P, Dusane R O. Effect of substrate temperature on HWCVD deposited a-SiC:H film. Materials Letters, 2007, 61(25): 4731-4734.
[9]	Kaneko T, Miyakawa N, Yamazaki H, et al. Growth kinetics in plasma CVD of a-SiC films from monomethylsilane revealed by in situ spectroscopy. Journal of Crystal Growth. 2002, 237-239(P2): 1260-1263.
[10]	Carreňo M N P, Lopes A T. Self-sustained bridges of a-SiC:H films obtained by PECVD at low temperatures for MEMS applications. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 2004, 338-340: 490-495.
[11]	Seo J K, Joung Y H, Park Y, et al. Substrate temperature effect on the SiC passivation layer synthesized by an RF magnetron sputtering method. Thin Solid Films, 2011, 519(20): 6654-6657.
[12]	Li M, Cheng Y, Zheng Y F, et al. Surface characteristics and corrosion behaviour of WE43 magnesium alloy coated by SiC film. Applied Surface Science, 2012, 258(7): 3074-3081.
[13]	Hondongwa D B, Olasov L R, Daly B C, et al. Thermal conductivity and sound velocity measurements of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited a-SiC:H thin films. Thin Solid Films, 2011, 519(22): 7895-7898.
[14]	Tabbal M, Said A, Hannoun E, et al. Amorphous to crystalline phase transition in pulsed laser deposited silicon carbide. Applied Surface Science, 2007, 253(17): 7050-7059.
[15]	Dasgupta A, Huang Y, Houben L, et al. Effect of filament and substrate temperatures on the structural and electrical properties of SiC thin films grown by the HWCVD technique. Thin Solid Films, 2008, 516(5): 622-625.
[16]	Zheng H W, Fu Z X, Lin B X, et al. Controlled-growth and characterization of 3C-SiC and 6H-SiC films on C-plane sapphire substrates by LPCVD. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2006, 426(1-2): 290-294.
[17]	Lee W H, Lin J C, Lee C, et al. Effects of CH4/SiH4flow ratio and microwave power on the growth of β-SiC on Si by ECR-CVD using CH4/SiH4/Ar at 200℃. Thin Solid Films, 2002, 405(1/2): 17-22.
[18]	Kaneko T, Nemoto D, Horiguchia A, et al. FTIR analysis of a-SiC:H films grown by plasma enhanced CVD. Journal of Crystal Growth, 2005, 275(1/2): e1097-e1101.
[19]	Abdesselem S, Aida M S, Attaf N, et al. Growth mechanism of sputtered amorphous silicon thin films. Physica B, 2006, 373(1): 33-41.