Low residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon films deposited by low-temperature PECVD

Low residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon (a-SixC1-x:H) films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at temperature range of 100–200 °C was obtained. Profilometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements...

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Main Authors: José Herrera-Celis, Claudia Reyes-Betanzo, Oscar Gelvez-Lizarazo, L.G. Arriaga, Adrián Itzmoyotl-Toxqui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2019-11-01
Series:Journal of Materials Research and Technology
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785419303990
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author José Herrera-Celis
Claudia Reyes-Betanzo
Oscar Gelvez-Lizarazo
L.G. Arriaga
Adrián Itzmoyotl-Toxqui
author_facet José Herrera-Celis
Claudia Reyes-Betanzo
Oscar Gelvez-Lizarazo
L.G. Arriaga
Adrián Itzmoyotl-Toxqui
author_sort José Herrera-Celis
collection DOAJ
description Low residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon (a-SixC1-x:H) films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at temperature range of 100–200 °C was obtained. Profilometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements were carried out to characterize the films. The residual stress of each deposited film was calculated using profilometry measurements and the Stoney equation. The results showed that the residual stress decreases as the power density is reduced, or the temperature or the silane/methane ratio are increased. There is a deposition pressure at around 750 mTorr at which low residual stress is promoted. The residual stress showed a correlation with the carbon incorporation in the form of C–Hn molecules. The residual stress depends on the deposition regime: assisted either by silane radicals (also known as “silane starving plasma” (SSP)) or by both silane and methane radicals. Considering that the carbon incorporation under SSP regime is more controlled, there is a higher probability of having low residual stress in this regime. In agreement with the characterization, the most favorable PECVD parameters were selected to obtain a-SixC1-x:H films with low residual stress (below 100 MPa) within the temperature range (100–200 °C). These results are useful in areas such as flexible electronic devices, implantable devices, microfluidic systems, and microelectromechanical systems, among others, in which the materials and the parameters of fabrication are degraded or modified by temperature above 200 °C. Keywords: Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, Hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon film, Residual stress, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Atomic force microscopy
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spelling doaj.art-0229ddd705744f91aab6bb56d2400c572022-12-21T23:52:25ZengElsevierJournal of Materials Research and Technology2238-78542019-11-018655815590Low residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon films deposited by low-temperature PECVDJosé Herrera-Celis0Claudia Reyes-Betanzo1Oscar Gelvez-Lizarazo2L.G. Arriaga3Adrián Itzmoyotl-Toxqui4Science Department, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica, Parque Tecnológico Querétaro s/n, Sanfandila, Pedro Escobedo, Querétaro, C.P. 76703, Mexico; Corresponding authors.Electronic Department, Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro #1, Santa María Tonantzintla, San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, C.P. 72840, Mexico; Corresponding authors.Electronic Engineering Department, Universidad Santo Tomás, Carrera 9 #51-11, Bogotá, C.P. 110311, ColombiaScience Department, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica, Parque Tecnológico Querétaro s/n, Sanfandila, Pedro Escobedo, Querétaro, C.P. 76703, MexicoElectronic Department, Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro #1, Santa María Tonantzintla, San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, C.P. 72840, MexicoLow residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon (a-SixC1-x:H) films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at temperature range of 100–200 °C was obtained. Profilometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements were carried out to characterize the films. The residual stress of each deposited film was calculated using profilometry measurements and the Stoney equation. The results showed that the residual stress decreases as the power density is reduced, or the temperature or the silane/methane ratio are increased. There is a deposition pressure at around 750 mTorr at which low residual stress is promoted. The residual stress showed a correlation with the carbon incorporation in the form of C–Hn molecules. The residual stress depends on the deposition regime: assisted either by silane radicals (also known as “silane starving plasma” (SSP)) or by both silane and methane radicals. Considering that the carbon incorporation under SSP regime is more controlled, there is a higher probability of having low residual stress in this regime. In agreement with the characterization, the most favorable PECVD parameters were selected to obtain a-SixC1-x:H films with low residual stress (below 100 MPa) within the temperature range (100–200 °C). These results are useful in areas such as flexible electronic devices, implantable devices, microfluidic systems, and microelectromechanical systems, among others, in which the materials and the parameters of fabrication are degraded or modified by temperature above 200 °C. Keywords: Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, Hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon film, Residual stress, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Atomic force microscopyhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785419303990
spellingShingle José Herrera-Celis
Claudia Reyes-Betanzo
Oscar Gelvez-Lizarazo
L.G. Arriaga
Adrián Itzmoyotl-Toxqui
Low residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon films deposited by low-temperature PECVD
Journal of Materials Research and Technology
title Low residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon films deposited by low-temperature PECVD
title_full Low residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon films deposited by low-temperature PECVD
title_fullStr Low residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon films deposited by low-temperature PECVD
title_full_unstemmed Low residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon films deposited by low-temperature PECVD
title_short Low residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon films deposited by low-temperature PECVD
title_sort low residual stress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbon films deposited by low temperature pecvd
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785419303990
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