The formation of SiC films by magnetron sputtering

This paper is devoted to the synthesis of solid silicon carbide (SiCx) films on the surface of single-crystal silicon (c-Si) with a thin interlayer of amorphous silicon (a-Si) by magnetron sputtering as well as to establish new regularities in the influence of heat treatment on composition, crystallization processes and structure of layers. A principal difference between the method of synthesis and the traditionally used magnetron sputtering is the 13.56 MHz high-frequency magnetron sputtering of a silicon target and a graphite target. An amorphous SiC0.97 film with a density of 3.179 g/cm3 and 165 nm thick was obtained under the deposition regime: rf = 150 W, 13.56 MHz; Ar – 2.4 l/h, 0.4 Pa; 100°C, 2400 s; containing SiC nanocrystals after annealing (1100°C, 30 min, Ar). Synthesis of an amorphous SiCx film with a density of 3.204 g/cm3 at a long sputtering of Si and C targets – 14400 s, containing nanoclusters with a predominance of truncated SiC bonds, was carried out.