Effect of nitrogen flow rate on the mechanical properties of CVD-deposited SiCN thin films

Abstract

Silicon carbonitride (SiCN) thin films were deposited on p-Si (100) substrates with different N 2 flow rates using SiC and Si 3 N 4 powder precursors by chemical vapour deposition. To investigate the structural, vibrational and mechanical properties, the SiCN thin films were characterized by atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared and nanoindentation techniques. The XRD results reveal nanocrystals embedded with amorphous networks in the SiCN thin films. An increase in the I D /I G ratio with an increase in the N 2 flow rate indicated the increase of sp 3 bonds in the SiCN thin film. The hardness (H), Young's modulus (E), plasticity index (H/E) and (H 3 /E 2) increase with an increase in the N 2 flow rate.