AN INFLUENCE OF PLASMA TREATMENT ON STRUCTURE PROPERTIES OF THIN SiC FILMS ON Si

In this paper, an influence of processing in hydrogen plasma on a structure of SiC0.7, SiC0.95 and SiC 1.4 layers formed by implantation of carbon ions (40, 20, 10, 5 and 3 keV) into silicon substrate is investigated. The glow discharge hydrogen plasma was generated at a pressure of 6.5 Pa with a capacitive coupled r.f. power (27.12 MHz) of about 20 W. Temperature of processing did not exceed 100°C. It is found that after plasma treatment the surface of SiC0.95 film becomes friable and porous. Annealing at temperature 800°C has led to the formation of granular structure of the surface while the untreated by plasma film at the same temperature shows the surface deformation only. The half-width of Si−C peak of IR transmission spectrum of SiC0.95 layer after processing in hydrogen plasma and annealing at 900°C for 30 min is equal to 78 cm−1 and indicates on the formation of highly qualitative crystalline β−SiC layer, surpassing on quality of structure perfection of an untreated in plasma SiC0.95 layer isochronously annealed at temperatures in an interval 200−1400°C. This effect of low temperature crystallization stimulated in plasma is explained by disintegration of stable carbon- and carbon-silicon clusters under influence of hydrogen plasma.