The effects of annealing upon the structure of radio-frequency sputtered amorphous films which had been prepared under H partial pressures were investigated. The infra-red results for as-prepared films suggested that, as the H partial pressure was increased, more H was incorporated into the film to form Si-H and C-H bonds, while fewer Si and C atoms were available to form Si-C bonds. The X-ray photo-electron spectroscopic results for as-prepared films agreed with the infra-red results, in that the fraction of Si-C decreased and the fraction of Si-H and C-H increased with increasing partial pressure. The infra-red and X-ray photo-electron spectroscopic results for annealed films suggested that, as the annealing temperature was increased, dangling Si and C bonds combined to form Si-C bonds in non-hydrogenated samples. The increase in Si-C bonds in hydrogenated samples was concluded to be more probably due to the formation of Si-C bonds from a break-up of Si-H and C-H bonds.

W.K.Choi, T.Y.Ong, L.S.Tan, F.C.Loh, K.L.Tan: Journal of Applied Physics, 1998, 83[9], 4968-73