Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-skm99 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T20:25:59.062Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of nitrogen on pulsed laser deposition of amorphous silicon carbide films: Properties and structure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Andrew L. Yee ,
H. C. Ong ,
Fulin Xiong  and
R. P. H. Chang
Andrew L. Yee
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2225 North Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208
H. C. Ong
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2225 North Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208
Fulin Xiong
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2225 North Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208
R. P. H. Chang
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2225 North Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208
Get access

Abstract

The influence of nitrogen on amorphous silicon carbide films deposited at room temperature using pulsed laser ablation has been investigated. Depositions were carried out either in ultrahigh vacuum or in a nitrogen ambient ranging from 10 to 100 mT. The mechanical and optical properties, as well as composition and structure of the resulting films, were evaluated using a variety of analytical techniques. Vacuum-deposited films exhibited high hardness but suffered from high compressive stresses (>1 GPa). At low nitrogen background pressures (<30 mT), films with an optimum balance among hardness (∼16 GPa), adhesion, and intrinsic stress (<220 MPa) were found, making them ideal candidates for protective coating applications. As nitrogen pressure was increased, mechanical performance degraded due to the increasing amount of SiO2 found in the films as evidenced by spectroscopic ellipsometry, infrared spectroscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy measurements. The source of oxygen is attributed to residual water vapor present in our vacuum system. Optical emission spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of Si–O species in the laser-induced plasma plume.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 11 , Issue 8 , August 1996 , pp. 1979 - 1986
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Schwan, J., Dworschak, W., Jung, K., and Ehrhardt, H., Diamond Relat. Mater. 3, 1034 (1994).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Elhossary, F. M., Fabian, D. J., and Webb, A. P., Thin Solid Films 192, 201 (1990).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Frauenheim, T., Stephan, U., Bewilogua, K., Jungnickel, F., Blaudeck, P., and Fromm, E., Thin Solid Films 182, 63 (1989).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Lu, F. X., Yang, B. X., Cheng, D. G., Ye, R. Z., Yu, W. X., and Sun, J.B., Thin Solid Films 212, 220 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Trakhtenberg, I. S., Plotnikov, S. A., Vladimirov, A. B., Liberman, Y. L., Kanalina, V. A., Boborykin, V. A., and Leizerov, V. M., Diamond Relat. Mater. 2, 1434 (1993).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Kurokawa, H., Yonezawa, T., and Mitani, T., IEEE Trans. Magnetics 23, 2410 (1987).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Liu, A. Y. and Cohen, M. L., Phys. Rev. B 41, 10727 (1990).Google Scholar
8.Xiong, F. and R. Chang, P.H., in Novel Forms of Carbon, edited by Renschler, C. L., Pouch, J.J., and Cox, D. M. (Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 270, Pittsburgh, PA, 1992), p. 451.Google Scholar
9.Franceschini, D. F., Achete, C. A., and Freire, F. L. Jr., Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 3229 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Xiong, F., Wang, Y. Y., Leppert, V., and Chang, R.P.H., J. Mater. Res. 8, 2265 (1993).Google Scholar
11.Kim, J. O. and Achenbach, J. D., Thin Solid Films 214, 25 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Ohring, M., The Materials Science of Thin Films (Academic Press, Boston, 1992).Google Scholar
13.Brantley, W. A., J. Appl. Phys. 44, 534 (1973).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Tompkins, H. G., A User's Guide to Ellipsometry (Academic Press, Boston, 1993).Google Scholar
15.Engineered Materials Handbook, Vol. 4, edited by ASM INTERNATIONAL (ASM INTERNATIONAL, Materials Park, OH, 1991).Google Scholar
16.Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids, edited by Paulik, E. D. (Academic Press, Orlando, FL, 1985).Google Scholar
17.Li, J. P., Steckl, A. J., Golecki, I., Reidinger, F., Wang, L., Ning, X. J., and Pirouz, P., Appl. Phys. Lett. 62, 3135 (1993).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18.Pradham, M. M. and Arora, M., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. I 31, 176 (1992).Google Scholar
19.Zhang, B-R., Yu, Z., Collins, G. J., Hwang, T., and Ritchie, W. H., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 7, 176 (1989).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Han, H-X and Feldman, B. J., Solid State Commun. 65, 921 (1988).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Handbook of Auger Electron Spectroscopy, 2nd ed., edited by Davis, L. E., MacDonald, N. C., Palmberg, P. W., Rlach, G. E., and Weber, R. E. (Physical Electronics Industries, Eden Prairie, MN, 1976).Google Scholar
22.Berjoan, R., Rodriguez, J., and Sibieude, F., Surf. Sci. 271, 237 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23.Chao, S. S., Tyler, J.E., Tsu, D. V., Lucovsky, G., and Mantini, M. J., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 5, 1283 (1987).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Weast, R. C. and Astle, M.J., CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics 62nd edition (CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1982).Google Scholar
25.Pearse, R. W. B. and Gaydon, A. G., The Identification of Molecular Spectra, 3rd ed. (Chapman / Hall, Ltd., London, 1963).Google Scholar
26.Marine, W., Tokarev, V., Gerri, M., Sentis, M., and Fogarassy, E., Thin Solid Films 241, 103 (1994).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27.Boher, P., Renaud, M., van IJzendoorn, L. J., and Hily, Y., Appl. Phys. Lett. 54, 511 (1989).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28.Kools, J.C.S., Nillesen, C.J.C. M., Brongersma, S. H., van de Riet, E., and Dieleman, J., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 10, 1809 (1992).Google Scholar