Fluorination of silicon carbide thin films using pure F2 gas or XeF2

Two fluorination methods: direct fluorination using F2 gas and fluorination by the decomposition of fluorinating agent XeF2 have been applied to silicon carbide SiC thin films in order to form a composite of carbide derived carbon film together with residual silicon carbide. Before and after fluorination, the thin films have been characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy, Rutherford Backscattering spectroscopy, Fourier Transformed InfraRed and Raman spectroscopies. Whereas direct fluorination leads to irreversible damages into the thin films, XeF2 method allows a progressive etching of the silicon atoms and the formation of non-fluorinated carbon.