The influence of NH3 flow rate on the microstructure and oxidation properties of a-Si-C-N:H films prepared by PECVD technology

Abstract Hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbon nitride (a-Si-C-N:H) films embedded with carbon nanoclusters were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) method. The microstructure and oxidation properties of the films were mainly analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectroscopy (XPS), Raman and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The influence of the NH3 flow rate on the film oxidation properties in air at room temperature has been investigated. The results showed that the carbon atoms tend to bond with each other during the film deposition and then form carbon nanoclusters. In addition, with increasing NH3 flow rate, the results also indicated that more N and C atoms bonded with Si atoms would be replaced by O atoms, and the N atoms mainly bonded with C atoms and the O atoms mainly bonded with Si atoms. Furthermore, the films became more and more dense, but the film oxidation was more and more serious. The oxidation of the film was mainly attributed to the production of the related silicon dangling bonds and the formation of the smaller carbon nanoclusters.