Abstract
Electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD) of SiC films from silane and methane gas mixtures at low temperature has been investigated using two different carrier gases, namely, argon and hydrogen. The results obtained are compared. The chemical composition and crystalline microstructure were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM), respectively. The results indicate that the carrier gases have a greater influence on the film composition and microstructure as compared to the growth parameters like pressure, power and flow ratio. The deposition mechanism which controls the film characteristics is also presented. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.