PECVD a-SiC : H thin films from liquid organosilanes dependence of photoluminescence on starting material

The dependence of the photoluminescence (PL) properties of plasma deposited a-SiC(N):H films on the starting material is discussed in this paper. A mo del of the growth process based on the infrared absorption spectra and plas ma parameters is developed and used to explain the differences in the FL. T he PL maximum for films we made from liquid organosilane feed stock, varied between 490 nm (2.5 eV) and 410 nm (3.0 eV). In this paper the PL and stru cture of films produced from hexamethyldisilane (HMDS) with a PL maximum at 450 nm (2.75 eV) and of films produced from hexamethyldisilazane (HMDSN) p eaking at 410 nm (3.0 eV) are discussed. The differences in PL are attribut ed to the different microstructures of the films which result from the star ting material. This structural difference is indicated by different absorpt ions for Si-(CH3)(2): Si-(CH3)(3) and Si-CH2-Si in the infrared absorption spectra of the two starting materials. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.