Thermal annealing of SiC thin films with varying stoichiometry

Thin films of amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) with varying stoichiometry of silicon and carbon were prepared by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD). After deposition a subsequent rapid thermal annealing was carried out at 900, 1100 and 1300 °C. The as-deposited and annealed SiC thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), cross-section and plane view transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-Transformed Infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The deposited films were amorphous directly after deposition and became nanocrystalline after annealing at 1300 °C. This was verified by XRD measurements. Microvoids were found in all films investigated by TEM. Densification and crystallisation as well as cooling introduced tensile stresses within the annealed SiC film and lead eventually to crack formation in the film. The annealed stoichiometric SiC film shows v-shaped extended defects at the Si–SiC interface likely formed during the annealing at high temperatures. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy showed a strong influence of initial film properties such as hydrogen content and binding structure on the internal structure of the SiC thin films after annealing.