Effect of deposition temperature on deposition kinetics and mechanism of silicon boron nitride coating deposited from SiCl4–BCl3–NH3–H2–Ar mixture using low pressure chemical vapor deposition

• SiBN coating is deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition.
• The deposition temperature is important on deposition rate, morphologies, chemical composition and bonding states.
• SiBN coating shows an amorphous phase.
• The deposition reactions were mainly controlled by BCl3 + NH3 under 900 °C and by SiCl4 + NH3 over 900 °C.

The effect of deposition temperature on deposition kinetics and mechanism of silicon boron nitride (SiBN) coating was investigated from SiCl4–BCl3–NH3–H2–Ar mixture using low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). Results showed that the deposition rates increased from 700 °C to 1030 °C, and then decreased above 1030 °C. The relative content of silicon increased with increasing deposition temperature. The SiBN coating was of amorphous phase and its surface morphology showed cauliflower-like. The bonding states of SiBN coating were the B–N and Si–N bonding at all deposition temperatures, which demonstrated that the SiBN coating is composed of very small Si–N and B–N particles and the main deposition mechanisms refer to two parallel reaction systems of BCl3 + NH3 and SiCl4 + NH3. The deposition reactions were mainly controlled by BCl3 + NH3 under 900 °C, and by SiCl4 + NH3 over 900 °C.