IR studies of reactive DC magnetron sputtered SiC films on silicon using effective medium theory

• Published in: Materials letters Vol. 43; no. 4; pp. 215 - 219
• Main Authors: Lei, Y.M, Yu, Y.H, Cheng, L.L, Ren, C.X, Zou, S.C, Wong, S.P, Chen, D.H, Wilson, I.H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.04.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Auger electron spectroscopy; Composition and phase identification; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; DC magnetron sputtering; Exact sciences and technology; IR reflectivity; Non-Rutherford backscattering; Physics; Silicon carbide; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; Thin films; Thin films; Silicon carbide; Auger electron spectroscopy; 81.15.Cd; Non-Rutherford backscattering; DC magnetron sputtering; 81.70.Ex; IR reflectivity; 81.05.Hd; Infrared reflection; Infrared spectroscopy; RBS; Inorganic compounds; Semiconductor materials; Films; Silicon carbides; Crystallinity; Experimental study; Nonstoichiometry; AES; Characterization; Chemical composition; Reactive sputtering; Effective medium model
• ISSN: 0167-577X; 1873-4979
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-577X(99)00262-1

Silicon carbide films were reactively DC sputtered on Si(111) substrates using a silicon target in a mixed CH 4/Ar atmosphere. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and non-Rutherford backscattering in which an incident He + beam with high energy (4.3 MeV for carbon analysis) was employed to analyze the composition of the films. The dependence of the optical behavior of the SiC films on their compositions were studied by IR reflectance in the range of 400 to 4000 cm −1. The experimental IR reflectance in this range was fitted by calculating the complex dielectric function of the films based on effective medium theory (EMT), in which the SiC films were consisted of homogeneously distributed SiC (amorphous and crystalline). The fitting of the experimental data using our model is quite satisfactory, which means the model in our simulation is reliable in explaining the IR optical properties of DC sputtered SiC films.