Synthesis of smooth amorphous thin films of silicon carbide with controlled properties through pulsed laser deposition

Thin films of silicon carbide (SiC) on Si (100) and SrTiO3 (100) substrates have been grown by nanosecond pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser operating at the wavelengths of 1064, 532 and 266 nm. The deposits obtained consisted of smooth and uniform layers of amorphous SiC, free of holes and cracks, with thicknesses in the range of 30–100 nm and average roughness substantially lower than 1 nm. The role of laser wavelength and of substrate temperature (300 K vs. 1025 K) on morphology, crystallinity and composition of the deposits was assessed. The films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, optical emission spectroscopy was employed to evaluate the characteristics of the ablation plasma and its correlation with the film growth.