Influence of hydrogen dilution on the growth of nanocrystalline silicon carbide films by low-frequency inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition

Nanocrystalline silicon carbide (nc-SiC) films are prepared by low-frequency inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition from feedstock gases silane and methane diluted with hydrogen at a substrate temperature of 500 °C. The effect of different hydrogen dilution ratios X [hydrogen flow (sccm) / silane + methane flow (sccm)] on the growth of nc-SiC films is investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). At a low hydrogen dilution ratio X, cubic silicon carbide is the main crystal phase; whereas at a high hydrogen dilution ratio X, hexagonal silicon carbide is the main crystal phase. The SiC crystal phase transformation may be explained by the different surface mobility of reactive Si-based and C-based radicals deposited at different hydrogen dilution ratios X. The FTIR and XPS analyses show that the Si-C bonds are the main bonds in the films and elemental composition of SiC is nearly stoichiometric with almost equal share of silicon and carbon atoms.