Multiphase structure of hydrogen diluted a-SiC:H deposited by HWCVD

The structural and optical properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbon (a-SiC:H) thin films, grown from pure SiH4, C2H2 and H2 mixture by hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) technique, were studied. Variable flow rates and other growth conditions were applied. A variety of techniques, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman scattering (RS), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV–VIS–NIR spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) were used to characterize the grown materials. The results confirmed coexisting of the multiphase structure of the grown a-SiC:H thin films: SiC network, carbon-like and silicon-like clusters. The room temperature (RT) PL shows a different result from the previous reports. It is suggested that both graphite-cluster phase and silicon cluster like phase are light-emitting grains. The two types of grains and SiC network are the origin of the PL in hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide material.