Wide band gap a-SiC:H films for optoelectronic applications

a-SiC:H samples over the entire compositional range have been deposited by using 13.56 MHz radio frequency chemical vapor deposition (RF-CVD) with C2H2 carbon source and electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition with C2H4 source. Films with the largest deposition rates have been obtained in the C-rich regime with defect density similar to 10(17) cm(-3). Compositional, optical, structural and radiative emission properties have been investigated and correlated for specimens obtained from both deposition techniques. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.