The growth process and optical emission spectroscopy of amorphous silicon carbide films from methyltrichlorosilane by rf plasma enhanced CVD

Amorphous silicon carbide films were grown by rf plasma CVD from methyltrichlorosilane. The composition of the film obtained changed with plasma power density. The growth kinetics were considered from the results showing that electron collisions at high power density increases SiCl3 fragments more than CH3 fragments. The kinetics were investigated by direct optical emission spectroscopy of the plasma process. The spectra of atomic hydrogen, molecular hydrogen, nitrogen and SiCl2 were detected and it was suggested that the precursor of silicon carbide was SiCl2 The intensity distribution of OES between parallel plate electrodes indicates that the precursor migrates to the substrate by diffusion. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.