Photoluminescence Evolution of Silicon Carbonitride Thin Films Grown by Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition

摘要

We report on the optical properties and compositional analysis of amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbonitride (a-SiCN:H) thin films fabricated using two different chemical vapour deposition (CVD)-based systems. The film stoichiometry was varied in a wide range between carbon-free and carbon rich films as determined through Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and elastic recoil detection (ERD). The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of a-SiCN:H films was highly dependent on the deposition conditions, film composition, and annealing temperature. Refractive indices of the thin films were determined by variable angle spectroscopic (VASE) ellipsometry and gave values between 1.7 and 2.1, depending on the film composition and structure.