The tungsten filament aging when using silacyclobutane (SCB) as a source gas in a hot-wire chemical vapor deposition reactor was systematically studied by the characterization of surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy and the chemical composition analysis of the filament surfaces using Auger electron spectroscopy. It is shown that filament aging involves the formation of silicides and under more severe conditions, a pure silicon deposit. At low pressures of SCB samples, e.g., 0.06 and 0.03Torr, only Si3W5 alloy was formed. Silicon-rich silicide, Si2W, was found when using a higher pressure of SCB at 0.12Torr. At the high SCB pressure of 0.12Torr and low temperatures, pure silicon was deposited on the W filament surface. It is also demonstrated that H2 can etch the aged filament at high temperatures above 1900°C. The etching products detected by the 10.5eV vacuum ultraviolet laser single photon ionization∕time-of-flight mass spectrometer include SiH4, SiCHx (x=2–5), and SiC2Hy (y=4–7).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.