Characteristics of carbon incorporated BN films deposited by radio frequency PACVD

The boron nitride (BN) and carbon incorporated BN films were deposited on S i substrates by capacitively coupled radio frequency plasma assisted chemic al vapor deposition (r.f. PACVD). Deposition temperatures were varied from room temperature to 500 degreesC while deposition pressure and substrate bi as were kept at 2 Pa and -500 V, respectively. BCl3 and NH3 were chosen as source gases and Ar gas was used as a carrier gas. The ordering of atomic b onds and stability of films in the ambient condition were varied with subst rate temperatures. Especially, the characteristic of B-C-N chemical bonds w as found to be influenced by deposition temperatures. The films deposited a t room temperature were chemically very unstable. But the BN and carbon inc orporated films deposited above 300 degreesC were stable. The origin of the stability was discussed with a viewpoint of the bonding characteristics of the films. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.