Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Amorphous Silicon Carbide Thin Films Using the Femtosecond Pump-Probe Technique
Nanoscale amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) thin films are widely used in engineering applications. It is important to obtain accurate information about their material properties because they often differ from those of the bulk state depending on the fabrication technique and process parameters. In...
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/6/2165 |
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| author | Yun Young Kim |
| author_facet | Yun Young Kim |
| author_sort | Yun Young Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nanoscale amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) thin films are widely used in engineering applications. It is important to obtain accurate information about their material properties because they often differ from those of the bulk state depending on the fabrication technique and process parameters. In this study, the thermal and mechanical properties of a-SiC thin films were evaluated using the femtosecond pump-probe technique, which provides high spatial and temporal resolutions sufficient to measure films that have a thickness of less than 300 nm. a-SiC films were grown using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system, and the surface characteristics were analyzed using ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray reflectometry. The results show that the out-of-the-plane thermal conductivity of the films is lower than that of bulk crystalline SiC by two orders of magnitude, but the lower limit is dictated by the minimum thermal conductivity. In addition, a decrease in the mass density resulted in a reduced Young’s modulus by 13.6–78.4% compared to the literature values, implying low Si-C bond density in the microstructures. The scale effect on both thermal conductivity and Young’s modulus was not significant. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:29:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bdb441d43d344f08aba53d47c076d792 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:29:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
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| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-bdb441d43d344f08aba53d47c076d7922023-11-30T21:20:35ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442022-03-01156216510.3390/ma15062165Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Amorphous Silicon Carbide Thin Films Using the Femtosecond Pump-Probe TechniqueYun Young Kim0School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, KoreaNanoscale amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) thin films are widely used in engineering applications. It is important to obtain accurate information about their material properties because they often differ from those of the bulk state depending on the fabrication technique and process parameters. In this study, the thermal and mechanical properties of a-SiC thin films were evaluated using the femtosecond pump-probe technique, which provides high spatial and temporal resolutions sufficient to measure films that have a thickness of less than 300 nm. a-SiC films were grown using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system, and the surface characteristics were analyzed using ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray reflectometry. The results show that the out-of-the-plane thermal conductivity of the films is lower than that of bulk crystalline SiC by two orders of magnitude, but the lower limit is dictated by the minimum thermal conductivity. In addition, a decrease in the mass density resulted in a reduced Young’s modulus by 13.6–78.4% compared to the literature values, implying low Si-C bond density in the microstructures. The scale effect on both thermal conductivity and Young’s modulus was not significant.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/6/2165amorphous silicon carbidethin filmthermal conductivityYoung’s modulusfemtosecond laser ultrasonics |
| spellingShingle | Yun Young Kim Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Amorphous Silicon Carbide Thin Films Using the Femtosecond Pump-Probe Technique Materials amorphous silicon carbide thin film thermal conductivity Young’s modulus femtosecond laser ultrasonics |
| title | Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Amorphous Silicon Carbide Thin Films Using the Femtosecond Pump-Probe Technique |
| title_full | Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Amorphous Silicon Carbide Thin Films Using the Femtosecond Pump-Probe Technique |
| title_fullStr | Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Amorphous Silicon Carbide Thin Films Using the Femtosecond Pump-Probe Technique |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Amorphous Silicon Carbide Thin Films Using the Femtosecond Pump-Probe Technique |
| title_short | Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Amorphous Silicon Carbide Thin Films Using the Femtosecond Pump-Probe Technique |
| title_sort | thermal and mechanical properties of amorphous silicon carbide thin films using the femtosecond pump probe technique |
| topic | amorphous silicon carbide thin film thermal conductivity Young’s modulus femtosecond laser ultrasonics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/6/2165 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yunyoungkim thermalandmechanicalpropertiesofamorphoussiliconcarbidethinfilmsusingthefemtosecondpumpprobetechnique |