Amorphous silicon carbonitride (a-SiCN) thin film coatings by remote plasma chemical vapor deposition using organosilicon precursor: Effect of substrate temperature

The study on amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbonitride (a-SiCN) thin film coatings produced by remote plasma chemical vapor deposition from 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisilazane as single-source compound is reviewed. The RP was generated using three extreme compositions of the H-2 + N-2 upstream-gas mixture with a different nitrogen content C-N2 = [N-2]/([H-2] + [N-2]). The films were deposited using plasma generated from with pure hydrogen (C-N2 = 0), pure nitrogen (C-N2 = 1), and a mixture of H-2 + N-2 with a nitrogen content of C-N2 = 0.88, corresponding to the maxima present in the NH hydronitrene emission intensity curve and film deposition yield curve. The films deposited at different substrate temperatures T-S varied in the range of 30-400 degrees C were characterized in terms of their deposition rate and yield, chemical structure, surface roughness, density, refractive index, hardness, elasticity, resistance to wear, and friction coefficient. The relationships of the structure and properties of the films controlled by the substrate temperature were determined and discussed. In view of their good mechanical properties, a-SiCN films produced using hydrogen as plasma feeding gas appear to be very excellent coatings for improving surface properties of engineering materials and for many other advanced technological applications.