Multiphase structure of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide thin films

The structural and optical properties of hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbon (a-Si1−xCx:H) thin films, grown from argon diluted silane, ethylene, and hydrogen mixture by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) 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), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) were used to characterize the grown materials. The results confirmed the multiphase structure of the grown a-Si1−xCx:H thin films: Si–C network, carbon-like and silicon-like clusters coexisting. The room temperature (RT) PL shows a different result from the previous reports. It is suggested that both graphite-like phase and a-Si:H-like phase are light-emitting grains. The two types of grains and Si–C network are the origin of the PL in hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide material.