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1 paper
Semiconductors
Electronic structure of the Si–C–N amorphous films
D. A. Zatsepinab,
È. Z. Kurmaeva,
A. Moewesc,
S. O. Cholakhb a Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg
b Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg
c Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Abstract:
The results of the investigation of amorphous
$a$-SiC
$_x$N
$_y$ films of various compositions by the ultra-soft X-ray emission spectroscopy are presented. The Si
$L_{2,3}$, C
$K_\alpha$, and N
$K_\alpha$ emission spectra, which reflect the partial densities of states Si 3
$s$3
$d$4, C 2
$p$, and N 2
$p$, respectively, have been measured and analyzed. It has been established that the Si–N chemical bond is similar in type to the Si–C chemical bond and completely substitutes for the Si–C bonds in thin
$a$-SiC
$_x$N
$_y$ films as the oxygen concentration increases. A similar effect is associated with the local agglomeration and subsequent clusterization of carbon atoms in the SiN-enriched regions of the internal volume of the film. A high ability of the
$a$-SiC
$_x$N
$_y$ films to oxidation in air has been established. This has been confirmed by a satisfactory approximation of the Si
$L_{2,3}$ X-ray emission spectra of a-SiCN with the use of the superposition of the spectra of
$\gamma$-Si
$_3$N
$_4$ and Si
$_2$N
$_2$O. The relative weight coefficients of the spectra of
$\gamma$-Si
$_3$N
$_4$, which have been used to approximate the spectra of thin
$a$-SiC
$_x$N
$_y$ films, are proportional to the values of the Young’s modulus for different values of compositions (different values of
$x$ and
$y$).
Received: 01.02.2011
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