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Rapid Thermal Annealing of Amorphous Hydrogenated Carbon (a-C:H) Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2011

Samuel A. Alterovitz
Affiliation:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44135
John J. Pouch
Affiliation:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44135
Joseph D. Warner
Affiliation:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44135
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Abstract

Amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) films were deposited on silicon and quartz substrates by a 30 kHz plasma discharge technique using methane. Rapid thermal processing of the films was accomplished in nitrogen gas using tungsten halogen light. The rapid thermal processing was done at several fixed temperatures (up to 600°C), as a function of time (up to 1800 sec). The films were characterized by optical absorption and by ellipsometry in the near UV and the visible. The bandgap, estimated from extrapolation of the linear part of a Tauc plot, decreases both with the annealing temperature and the annealing time, with the temperature dependence being the dominating factor. The density of states parameter increases up to 25 percent and the refractive index changes up to 20 percent with temperature increase. Possible explanations of the mechanisms involved in these processes are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1987

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References

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