Wide-bandgap hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide prepared from an aromatic carbon source

By utilizing the aromatic molecule xylene, hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide films are prepared for the first time from an aromatic carbon source. Good-quality films are obtained, over a wide range of optical bandgaps from 2.2 to 3.5 eV and carbon content from 0.4 to 0.9 atomic fraction. Infrared measurements indicate that the films contain a large amount of aromatic and olefinic sp² carbon bonding, the extent of which depends strongly on the deposition conditions. This unsaturated carbon imparts an unusual property to the material in that it can be doped with an electron acceptor, which increases the electrical conductivity by several orders of magnitude, in a manner similar to organic semiconductors