Amorphous SiC film formation on Si(100) using electron beam excitation

The effect of electron impact on methylsilane (CH3SiH 3) conversion to amorphous-Sio.sCo.5:H (a-Sio.sCo.5:H) films on Si(100) has been studied by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). It is found that electron impact greatly enhances CH3SiH 3 decomposition on Si(100) at both 90 K and 300 K, resulting in a-Sio.sC0.5:H thin film formation. Thermal annealing of the film causes hydrogen desorption and amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) formation. Upon annealing to temperatures above 1200 K, the a-SiC film became covered by a thin silicon layer as indicated by AES studies. Ordered structures are not produced by annealing the a-SiC up to 1300 K. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.