Preparation of nanocrystalline cubic silicon carbide thin films by hot-wire CVD at various filament-to-substrate distances

Nanocrystalline cubic silicon carbide (nc-3C-SiC) thin films were prepared by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition from SiH4/CH4/H2 gases and influences of filament-to-substrate distance, dF-S, and CH4 gas flow rate, F(CH4), on structural properties of nc-3C-SiC thin films were investigated. SiC-nanocrystallite growth was enhanced with increasing dF-S form 10 to 26 mm and was prevented with increasing dF-S from 26 to 46 mm. And the crystallinity was improved with increasing F(CH4) from 1.0 to 1.5 sccm but deteriorated with increasing F(CH4) from 1.5 to 2.0 sccm. These findings can be explained by the changes in the fluxes of H and CH3 radicals with dF-S and F(CH4).