Preparation of nanocrystalline cubic silicon carbide thin films by hot-wire CVD at various filament-to-substrate distances

Abstract Nanocrystalline cubic silicon carbide (nc-3C-SiC) thin films were prepared by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition from SiH 4 /CH 4 /H 2 gases and influences of filament-to-substrate distance, d F–S , and CH 4 gas flow rate, F (CH 4 ), on structural properties of nc–3C-SiC thin films were investigated. SiC-nanocrystallite growth was enhanced with increasing d F–S form 10 to 26 mm and was prevented with increasing d F–S from 26 to 46 mm. And the crystallinity was improved with increasing F (CH 4 ) from 1.0 to 1.5 sccm but deteriorated with increasing F (CH 4 ) from 1.5 to 2.0 sccm. These findings can be explained by the changes in the fluxes of H and CH 3 radicals with d F–S and F (CH 4 ).