Post-growth rapid thermal annealing effect on hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide thin film

The post-grouch rapid thermal annealing (RTA) effect on hydrogenated amorph ous silicon carbide thin films was investigated. The thin films were prepar ed by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on silicon substrate. Nearl y stoichiometric polycrystalline 3C-SiC films were obtained from the Si-ric h amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide films after RTA in a vacuum at 130 0 degreesC, which appeared statistically oriented with a self-aligned orien tation along the (100) plane, but without obvious epitaxial relation with r espect to the orientation of the Si substrate. Very low concentration of mu ltiphase carbon was detected in the same him. Raman scattering and high-res olution transmission electron microscopy confirmed the existence of diamond nanocrystallites, sp(3) and sp(2) bonded amorphous carbon. However, no gra phite was found in this film. The result indicates that the diamond nucleat ion is easier/earlier than that of graphite in the high temperature RTA pro cess on amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide thin films. (C) 2001 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved. carbide.