Influence of silane partial pressure on the properties of amorphous SiCN films prepared by ECR-CVD

Abstract The amorphous silicon–carbon–nitrogen (SiCN) films prepared by the industry-used electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapour deposition (ECR-CVD) at different ratios of silane to the mixture of silane-methane-nitrogen were investigated. The C, Si and N compositions are found to be sensitive to the silane partial pressure. The main bonds in the films are the CN, CN, SiN and their densities vary with the ratio of silane to the gaseous mixture. The SiC bonds are not observable, confirming that the Si and C are bridged by N. In addition, the deposition rate, electrical conductivity, optical bandgap and surface roughness can be monitored by varying the ratio of silane to the gaseous mixture. This alloy is suitable for the light emitting sources and light photodetector for visible light.