Kinetics of SiC chemical vapor deposition from methylsilane

The kinetics of heterogeneous decomposition of methylsilane in a pumped hot-wall reactor were studied just below the critical partial pressure for homogeneous decomposition. The activation energies of the process derived from gas-phase conversion measurements and from deposition rates of SiC were found to be equal (about 230 kJ/mol). The nature of the diluent (H2, He, or Ar) has only a weak effect on the reaction order in methylsilane (m ≃= 1 ), as well as on the composition and structure of amorphous Si0.53C0.47 films.