Preparation of silicon carbide nitride thin films by sputtering of silicon nitride target

Amorphous silicon carbide nitride thin films were synthesized on single crystal silicon (0 0 1) substrates by rf reactive sputtered a silicon nitride target in methane and argon atmosphere. The effects of sputtering parameters such as target voltage in the range of 1.6‐3.0 kV on the optical properties were studied by a Cary 500 UN-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer and Bio-Rad FTS 185 FTIR spectrometer. The results showed that the deposition rate reached maximal at the target voltage of 2.5 kV. The refractive index, n, decrease with increase of target voltage except the sample deposited on 1.6 kV. Moreover, the maximal proportion of Si‐C and C‐N bond achieved at the target voltage of 2.5 and 2.0 kV, respectively. It reflects that the bonding configuration can be tailored by adjusting the target voltage. # 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.